Workplace Climate: Comparison of Science and Engineering Faculty Perceptions by Gender

Abstract

This study presents the differences in perceptions of workplace climate between science and engineering faculty based on the multiple, intersecting social identities of gender, ethnicity/race, and social class. Faculty perceptions of workplace climate were measured a scale assessing nine constructs identified from the literature that may impact the persistence of faculty. Seven constructs were identified from the literature to include both psychological (e.g., motivation) and institutional factors (e.g. policies, practices, procedures). Based on the intersectionality framework, two additional factors were included to probe the effects of social class on persistence. To capture the multiple intersecting social identities of science and engineering faculty, demographic questions were specifically generated. Data were collected from 288 tenure track professors in science and engineering departments at two large Midwestern public research universities and a small private research university in the South. Data were analyzed using correlation and analysis of variance to explore differences in faculty perceptions of departmental workplace climate between discipline and gender. On average, engineering faculty perceived more positively than science faculty on departmental climate for diversity and inclusion, sense of belonging, and scholarly recognition. On average, male faculty perceived more positively than female faculty on intrinsic motivation, departmental climate for diversity and inclusion, sense of belonging, and work-life balance. There were no intersectionality on the differences observed in perceptions of workplace climate by discipline and gender.