The Relationship Between Academic Life Conditions and Perceived Sources of Faculty Stress Over Time

Abstract

SUMMARY Many assertions have been made that the changing landscape of postsecondary education has resulted in a higher level of occupational stress, thereby presenting a potential problem for the recruitment and retention of individuals in academe. However, it has yet to be empirically demonstrated that stressors for faculty have in fact changed by nature or intensity during the last decade of the 20th century. The present study compares the dimensions and correlates of faculty stress using national survey data collected in 1989 and 2001. A factor analysis of 16 stressor items was conducted to construct five stress scales, comprising work overload, role conflict, faculty interaction, academic advancement, and aging considerations. Multiple regression, using four blocks of variables (i.e., demographics, faculty status, work life, and cohort), explained between 6 and 21 percent of the variance in the stress scales. Results indicated that sources of stress have remained relatively stable between 1989 and 2001.