Professional fulfillment and satisfaction of US and Canadian adult education and human resource development faculty

Abstract

This comparative study explored the professional fulfillment and job satisfaction of US and Canadian college and university faculty in the fields of Adult Education and Human Resource Development. In Autumn 2001, we disseminated electronically The Adult Education and Human Resource Development Faculty Survey to a selected sample of Canadian and US faculty from across the continent. Results showed few differences between the US and Canadian faculty in terms of sources of satisfaction and dissatisfaction, suggesting a commonality among members of the profession. However, within Canada, there were some differences between male and female faculty and between the fields. Specific aspects of professional fulfillment, responsible for overall career satisfaction, varied somewhat between Canadian and US faculty. Overall, faculty members were relatively satisfied with their careers and would choose the same careers if they had it to do over again. However, ‘change is in the air’ in academia, and declining job satisfaction may become an important issue for US and Canadian college and university administrators who will soon face the challenge of replacing a wave of baby‐boom professorial retirements with a predicted shortage of new PhD graduates. This study advances our understanding about the need to improve organizational climates in order to build on an already satisfying profession.