Job satisfaction: Does rank make a difference?

Abstract

If low job satisfaction or dissatisfaction exists amongst academics then the goals of higher education cannot be accomplished. The purpose of this study was to provide empirical evidence as to the job satisfaction levels of academics in North Cyprus and to ascertain as to whether academic rank is a reliable predictor of their job satisfaction. The study instrument used was the short-form Minnesota Satisfaction Questionnaire (MSQ) which measures job satisfaction using 20 facets of the job. The population for this study consisted of academics in North Cyprus. A total of 412 academics (69% response rate) agreed to take part in the study. Data analysis consisted of the computation of descriptive statistics and one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA). The findings showed that academics indicate only a moderate level of overall job satisfaction. The job facets advancement, compensation, co-workers and variety were found to be statistically significant with academic rank indicating that academic rank affects the satisfaction associated with 4 out of the 20 facets of the academics’ job examined. In general, it can be said that the results of this study indicate the extent of the low to moderate satisfaction levels that exists among academics in North Cyprus. Key words: Job satisfaction, job dissatisfaction, academics, academic rank, North Cyprus