Academic Job Research Articles

ONE FOOT OUT THE DOOR: INTERROGATING THE RISKY HIRE NARRATIVE IN STEM FACULTY CAREERS

Many faculty members believe that the racial demography of their disciplines afford highly qualified, racially minoritized scholars more power in the academic job market. As such, search committees may not offer faculty positions to candidates from these groups because they perceive them to be high risk and difficult to retain. One often cited study debunked this myth, showing that highly competitive racially minoritized candidates did not have more offers; however, the study was published over two decades ago and the narrative still remains. Using publicly available data from the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program, we identified 671 awardees and found no statistically significant differences in rates of early departure between highly qualified, racially minoritized scholars and other highly qualified racial groups across three different science, technology, engineering, and mathematics disciplines. We also used data from U.S. News and World Report university rankings, and the FY 2007 Survey of Research and Development Expenditures at Universities and Colleges to understand whether early departing faculty members across all racial categories leave for more prestigious institutions, as is assumed. Those results indicate a slight trend of early departing faculty members leaving for more prestigious institutions than their previous one. We situate these findings within the faculty diversity discourse and offer implications for practice and future research.

ADAPTING TO CYBERSECURITY CHALLENGES: ASSESSING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF INTERNATIONAL LAW AGAINST CYBER TERRORISM

The study critically examines current condition of global rule in resolving the developing hazard of cyber terrorism. The research dives right into the complexities and problems posed by cyber terrorism as well as reviews the effectiveness of existing lawful platforms in responding to this progressing threat. Employing a diverse series of academic jobs, the study investigates the requirements for brand-new global lawful frameworks, developments in cybercrime inspection as well as digital forensics, as well as the function of surfacing modern technologies in rule administration. Also, the report stresses the significance of enhancing global cyber resilience and response abilities by means of worldwide teamwork and collaboration. The study's searching highlights varied attributes of cyber violence and demand for a complete, collaborated, and international reaction to fight this threat. The analysis uses valuable knowledge right into advancement of brand-new lawful platforms, technologies in cybercrime examination & enlargement of global cyber resilience to deal with problems positioned through cyber terrorism.

Managing social networking stress: the role of self-management in reducing social media exhaustion and improving higher education employee performance.

This study investigates the significance of self-management in academic staff stress management related to social networking sites (SNS). It emphasizes particularly on reducing social media exhaustion and increasing job effectiveness. The research applies the stressor-strain-outcome theory and the Smart PLS (partial least squares) analytical approach to examine data from 391 respondents. The study's goal is to provide empirical data on the efficacy of self-control management in reducing SNS stress and its effects on academic staff's psychological wellbeing and job performance. Data is collected by survey using online email platforms among academic employees, and the collected data is examined utilizing the Smart PLS approach. This approach allows for an investigation of the proposed links and their statistical importance. This research's ramifications are important for academic institutions since its results can help academic personnel effectively cope with SNS-related stress. Academic employees can better limit their SNS usage and avoid social media tiredness by promoting self-control management practices. As a result, academic employees' job performance and overall wellbeing may increase. The study's findings help to comprehend how self-management might reduce SNS stress and improve staff performance in the academic sector.

PSYCHOLOGICAL CAPITAL, ACADEMIC JOB SATISFACTION AND EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE: A STRUCTURAL EQUATION MODEL ON WORK ENGAGEMENT AMONG PUBLIC SCHOOL TEACHERS

The study attempted to find the best-fit model on work engagement as influenced by psychological capital, academic job satisfaction, and emotional intelligence in public schools using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) to 402 teachers in Davao Region, Philippines. Findings revealed very high levels of psychological capital and a high level of academic job satisfaction, emotional intelligence, and work engagement. There were significant correlations between psychological capital, academic job satisfaction, emotional intelligence, and work engagement. Further, results showed that the best-fit model was model 3 showing the direct causal relationships of psychological capital, academic job satisfaction, and emotional intelligence on work engagement. Furthermore, structure modifications revealed that psychological capital was described by its domains: hope and optimism while academic job satisfaction was determined by its retained indicators, namely: my work itself and interpersonal relationships. On the other hand, emotional intelligence was measured by its domains: empathy and motivating oneself. Finally, work engagement was defined by its retained indicators, namely: absorption and dedication. The study's findings could serve as an essential basis for teacher advancement programs, policies, and initiatives in educational organizations.<p> </p><p><strong> Article visualizations:</strong></p><p><img src="/-counters-/soc/0021/a.php" alt="Hit counter" /></p>

Exploring the Impact of Techno-Complexity and Techno-Uncertainty on Academic Staff's Job Performance in the Era of Social Networking Stressors

Academic staff members are experiencing a paradigm shift in Malaysia's modern academic environment. It is becoming more and more important to investigate the complex aspects that affect academic staff members' job performance as the academic environment has been altered by the ubiquitous influence of digitalization and social networking pressures. This study explores the intricate relationship between techno-complexity, techno-uncertainty as a SNS stressors, and job performance as experienced by academic personnel through a comprehensive approach that makes use of the Social Strain Outcome Theory. Based on a large dataset of 391 participants, rigid structural equation modeling, or Smart Partial Least Squares (PLS) is employed to investigate the intricate relationships between these factors. The study's findings provide vital information regarding the challenges experienced by Malaysian academic employees, especially in light of the country's rapidly changing digital landscape. It reveals the various manners in which job performance is influenced by techno-complexity and techno-uncertainty, which are fueled by social networking pressures. This information forms the basis for well-informed measures, and the creation of policies to improve the productivity of academic staff members in a digital environment. All things considered, this study provides a sophisticated investigation of the changing dynamics in higher education, illuminating the flexible approaches required to traverse the always-changing landscape of academic duties.

Academic Job Satisfaction Research: Conceptual Framework for Russia

Digital transformation, revising the principles of the Bologna system, new directions of academic contacts – this is not even the full list of challenges faced by Russian universities. University teachers have to respond to them, which might lead to increased stress levels and calls for more careful monitoring of the dynamics of overall job satisfaction in academia. Despite research on academic job satisfaction being available, its mutual verification is difficult, since there is no general theoretical and methodological framework for this kind of research, and the set of common indicators is not adapted to Russian realities. In addition, a serious problem when it comes to academic job satisfaction surveys is the administrative divide between whoever initiated the research and teaching staffers, who becomes an object of research with reduced agency. The authors of the article propose an approach based on experience in monitoring the teaching staff’s attitude towards current challenges, which would combine quantitative and qualitative survey methods and focus on universal job satisfaction domains at the university. Choosing relevant academic job satisfaction domains that comprehensively characterize the working conditions of a university teacher should be justified during a series of testing studies, and most importantly — an internal sociological discussion.

THE ROLE OF PERSONALITY AS A MEDIATOR IN THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN LEADER-MEMBER EXCHANGE AND JOB PERFORMANCE

Academic staffs are the main asset to Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) since education is the institution's core business. The ability of academic staff to meet the goals set by the HEIs is of utmost importance. They must possess strong competencies and excellent personality to improve their performance and achieve the desired target. Although the effect of organizational and individual factors has been verified in previous studies, it remains unclear what underlying mechanisms explain the relationship. This study examined the role of personality as a mediator in the relationship between leader-member exchange (LMX) and job performance. This research used a quantitative method with a total sample of 260 academic staff in private HEIs, which were analyzed using the SEM Amos software. The findings showed that LMX and job performance (β= -0.26) and LMX and personality (β= 0.42) were significantly related, and academic staff personality was found to have the most substantial effect on job performance (β= 1.07). The result also indicated that personality partially mediates the relationship between LMX and job performance. The study's findings propose that the management of HEIs can improve the organizational factors through the proper implementation of LMX, which will nurture individual factors' effectiveness and improve academic staff job performance.

Converging perspectives: Assessing AI readiness and utilization in Philippine higher education

In rapidly evolving landscape of technology, the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) has become prevalent, reshaping various facets of students’ lives. This study delved into the uncharted territory of AI awareness, utilization, and perceptions among college students. The study used a convergent parallel mixed-methods design, integrating quantitative survey data with qualitative responses in order to get insights on the impact of AI in education and society. The survey found that college students familiarity on AI depends on age, academic year, and field of study. This emphasizes the need for targeted AI education to overcome knowledge inequalities, particularly among younger cohorts and in fields with little AI expertise. AI usage is usually modest for academic and personal purposes, while insights includes its uses in academic research, job administration, and language translation. The varied application of AI requires institutions to adapt their procedures, and societal impacts which are largely seen positively. This optimism is tempered by concerns about job loss, data privacy breach, technological overuse, and human decision-making. Thus, comprehensive AI education programs are needed to address and traverse these varied opinions. The results emphasized the necessity for institutions and policymakers to be proactive when artificial intelligence is transforming many companies and social systems. Students must learn AI literacy, combining knowledge and practical application, to navigate the AI-driven environment's complexity and opportunities. The endeavor requires teaching technical skills and a deep grasp of AI's social and ethical implications. Institutions can prepare students for a future where artificial intelligence is becoming more important by understanding these effects and tailoring teaching.

Considering non-tenure track jobs in academia

Considering non-tenure track jobs in academia

Competency Development in Industrial Engineering and Related Academic Programs Regarding the Optimization of Production and Logistics Processes: The Case of Medellín

This study examines the correlation between the skills and competencies developed in engineering programs and those required by the most representative economic sectors in Medellín for optimizing their production and logistics processes. In general terms, this paper aims to contribute to the research on higher education institutions and the alignment of their programs with the expectations of businesses in emerging countries. Thus, the proposed research question is as follows: What is the systemic relationship between academia and businesses in Colombia regarding the development of skills and competencies related to the optimization of production and logistics processes? To address this question, the study methodology starts by defining the target population (Industrial Engineering and related academic programs) and the dialogue methods adopted. Subsequently, a morphological space is created to establish systemic interconnections among the study variables and factors. Finally, patterns and qualitative/quantitative relationships are identified and grouped into two drivers that support the optimization of production and logistics processes. These drivers, in turn, consist of five key driving variables: quality defects, work environment, information and communication technology usage, operation traceability, and logistics and planning. The results indicate a correlation of 60% between courses and job competencies, 85.71% between academic skills and job competencies, and 71.88% between courses and academic skills. These findings provide insights to enhance cooperation between the academic and business sectors and foster the development of new local competitive capacities.

Organizational Culture, Work Ethics and Spouse Relations as Determinants of Colleges of Education Academic Staff Job Effectiveness in South-West, Nigeria

The job effectiveness of employees has received significant attention in workplace studies. This is due to the general recognition that this variable can be a major determinant of an organizational working system. The fact that job effectiveness among academic staff in the College of Education may have an impact on institutional quality performance necessitates that closer attention be paid to factors such as organizational culture, work ethics, and spouse relations as potent variables that could influence job effectiveness. This study therefore examined organisational culture, work ethics, and spouse relations as determinants of job effectiveness of academic staff in Colleges of Education in South West, Nigeria. It also looked at the moderating influence of gender, age, and academic qualification on the predictive powers of the independent variables on academic staff job effectiveness. This study adopted a survey research design of ex-post facto type. A sample of 1,146 married academic staff was selected through the multistage sampling technique from a population of 2,898 academic staff in Colleges of Education in South-West, Nigeria. Three research questions and eight hypotheses were answered and tested respectively to guide the study. Four validated instruments were used for data collection; LJEQ (?=0.82), OCQ (?=0.75), LWERS (?=0.78), and WPAT (?=0.78). Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Pearson Product Moment Correlation, Multiple Regression Analysis, t-test, and analysis of Variance (ANOVA) at 0.05 level of significance. Findings revealed, among other things, that to some extent, the level of academic staff job effectiveness was very high in Colleges of Education. The finding further showed that organizational culture, work ethics, and spouse relations significantly predicted academic staff job effectiveness in Colleges of Education (F(3, 1017) = 58.672, p < .05). It was recommended among others that the management of colleges should continuously carry out regular appraisals to determine the level of job effectiveness of the staff and invest in capacity development through training and retreats to align staff with organizational culture and work ethics of the institution.

Job Crafting Antecedents and Consequences: Evidence from Jordanian Universities

Purpose - This article explores academic job crafting's significant conditions (antecedents and consequences). The impact of encouraging learning environments and the leadership that fortifies learning was studied. Knowledge management and job crafting are closely related in their ability to empower employees and enhance organizational effectiveness. Design/methodology/approach –217 academics serving in a Jordanian University, in Jordan, took part in this study. Statistical parameters endorsed the significant impact of two learning organization building blocks on job crafting. Findings - It was shown that supportive learning environments and leadership reinforces learning; and positively impacts job crafting, which consequently reflects upon job satisfaction levels among academics. The results imply that strategies conducive to learning provide the most rewarding approach to enhancing academic job crafting and job satisfaction. Originality/value – To the authors’ knowledge, no prior study has examined job crafting and linked it to the study dimensions within the Arab context generally and particularly in the academic field. We propose this model as a system crafting theory and end our research with suggestions for further research on these issues. Keywords: Job crafting, job satisfaction, learning organization, academic organization, supportive learning environment, leadership support, Jordan.

Exploring Emotional Intelligence and Sociodemographics in Higher Education; the Imperative for Skills and Curriculum Development.

There is increasing interest in understanding the nature and impact of emotional intelligence (EI) in educational institutions and the workplace since EI is associated with academic performance, career success, job satisfaction, and management skills. Here we measured EI levels in students and employees at Qatar University and examined associations with sociodemographic variables. This cross-sectional study used the Trait Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire-Short Form (TEIQue-SF) questionnaire to quantify EI. Of 517 respondents, 315 were students and 202 were employees. The mean global EI level across all participants was 4.80 ± 0.78, with EI highest in the well-being domain (5.43 ± 1.04). Overall, older respondents had higher EI than younger respondents. There was no significant effect of gender, marital status, or employment position on EI. However, there were significant two- and three-way interactions. As a standalone variable, age was the most important factor influencing EI development in our cohort. However, three-way interactions revealed complex effects between age, gender, and marital status and EI. Our findings support a need for workshops on EI for employees and integrating dedicated courses into existing curricula to equip students with effective interpersonal relationship skills that foster EI development. Developing such interpersonal skills could help to promote personal, professional, and academic success.

Early Career Paths of Economists Inside and Outside of Academia

Economics job candidates face considerable professional and financial uncertainties when deciding between academic and nonacademic career paths. Using novel panel data, we provide a broad picture of PhD economists’ early career mobility and earnings growth–both in and outside of academia. We find that academic jobs have fallen to just over half of US placements, with growing shares in tech, consulting, and government. We document considerable early career job mobility and higher earnings growth among job changers, private-sector economists, and men. We also find an earnings premium for graduates of top-ranked PhD programs that grows over early career years in academia while shrinking in the private sector. These different earnings dynamics mean the opportunity cost (in terms of potential earnings) of remaining in academia is generally less for graduates of top-ranked programs, although there is significant dispersion in mid-career earnings among these academics.

Toxic workplaces are the main reason women leave academic jobs.

Toxic workplaces are the main reason women leave academic jobs.

Underrepresented minorities in business doctoral programs: trends and academic placements (1973 to 2018)

PurposeThis paper aims to present demographic characteristics and postgraduate employment trends of business doctoral graduates, especially the proportion that are underrepresented minorities (URMs) over time.Design/methodology/approachThe authors analyze the near census of individuals receiving doctoral degrees in a wide range of business disciplines from US-accredited universities from 1973 to 2018 (n = 50,091) contained with the National Science Foundation Survey of Earned Doctorates. The authors analyze how the proportion of URM graduates, by discipline, has changed over time both in terms of receiving a doctoral degree and entering an academic position.FindingsThe proportion of URM graduates fluctuated between approximately 5% and 15% annually, steadily increasing across decades. Overall, 64.4% of all graduates entered an academic position, with notably higher rates among whites (72.1%) compared to Blacks (51.8%), Hispanics (60.4%) and other URMs (56.4%) (p < 0.001). In adjusted models, the proportion of URMs that entered academic positions significantly increased overtime, beginning in the 1990s and peaked in the 2000s. Although the few institutions that graduated the highest number of URMs do not currently have an Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business-accredited business school, the authors identify several exemplar institutions where URM graduates entered academic jobs at the highest rates.Originality/valueThe authors provide demographic trends that shed light on ways to influence an increase in URM doctoral graduates from business disciplines into academic careers. This discussion is of interest to university administrators and other stakeholders interested in diversity issues in higher education.

Research Data Management Competencies for Academic Libraries: Perspectives from Two Universities in South Africa

The rapid pace of technological change has significantly transformed the librarianship profession, impacting the required competencies for professionals working in library and information services (LIS). As new roles emerge within academic libraries, librarians need to assess their current knowledge and skills as well as identify additional knowledge and skills needed to adapt to evolving roles and responsibilities. This paper reports findings of a study conducted at two university libraries in South Africa. The objective of the study was to identify the competencies necessary for academic librarians in providing research data management services (RDM). While previous studies have explored the knowledge and skills required for academic librarians in Southern Africa and globally, there is a research gap concerning the specific competencies necessary for RDM. This study employed semi-structured interviews with librarians from two selected university libraries, using purposive sampling. The research also included document reviews and content analysis of relevant academic library job advertisements. The study’s findings highlight key competencies such as information and data management practices, repository management, data curation, data collection management, understanding funders’ policies, research Research Data Management Competencies for Academic Libraries: Perspectives from Two Universities in South Africa methods and processes, as well as ICT and digitization skills. The findings also highlight the importance of robust training and selfdevelopment through online courses, webinars, and freely available materials as strategies to support RDM.

Bridging the expectation gap: a survey of Australian PhD candidates and supervisors in politics and international relations

ABSTRACT What do PhD candidates and supervisors say about the quality of PhD training, the supervisory experience, and post-PhD career prospects? With little research into the quality of Australian politics and international relations PhD programmes, and the impacts of COVID-19 exacerbating concerns about academic job prospects, we need to evaluate the quality of PhD training. This paper reports on two mirrored surveys of PhD candidates (n = 109) and supervisors (n = 55) in Politics and International Relations from twenty-three Australian universities. The survey, conducted in 2022, drew on a 2013 survey of Australian PhD candidates in these disciplines, allowing for temporal comparisons. We find that methods training is perceived as largely non-existent or insufficient. We also find that there is a lack of job preparedness training built into the PhD programme, whether for academic or non-academic careers. Finally, we highlight ongoing gendered disparities that negatively impact female candidates and supervisors.

How do German pharmacologists publish in the non-peer-reviewed science magazine Biospektrum?

Publications in peer-reviewed journals are the most important currency in science. But what about publications in non-peer-reviewed magazines? The objective of this study was to analyze the publications of scientists, with a focus on pharmacologists, in the non-peer-reviewed German science magazine Biospektrum from 1999 to 2021. Biospektrum is edited by five scientific societies in Germany including the Society for Experimental and Clinical Society Pharmacology and Toxicology (DGPT) and provides opportunities to researchers to showcase their research to a broad audience. We analyzed 3197 authors of 1326 articles. Compared to the fields of biochemistry, microbiology, and genetics, pharmacology was largely underrepresented. Just three institutions in Germany contributed most papers to Biospektrum. Researchers with a doctoral degree were the largest author group, followed by researchers with a habilitation degree. Among all major fields, women were underrepresented as authors, particularly as senior authors. The Covid pandemic leads to a drop of publications of female first authors but not last authors. Compared to publications in the peer-reviewed journal Naunyn–Schmiedeberg’s Archives of Pharmacology (Zehetbauer et al., Naunyn-Schmiedebergs Arch Pharmacol 395:39–50 (2022)), female pharmacologists were underrepresented in the Biospektrum. Thus, German pharmacologists as a group do not value investing in “social impact” gained by publications in Biospektrum, and this attitude is even more prominent among female pharmacologists. Investing less in “social impact” by female pharmacologists may result in reduced visibility on the academic job market and may contribute to reduced opportunities to achieve high academic positions.

The Science of the Cover Letter: How to Apply for an Academic Librarian Job

While serving on a search committee at my institution, I started thinking about what I wish someone had told me when I was trying to break into the field of academic librarianship. And at the top of the list is how to write a cover letter that will increase your chance of getting hired. This article contains a list of nine tips about how the hiring process works at one public university in Virginia. Readers will learn how to interpret the qualifications list in a job ad, how to link their experiences to those qualifications, and which rules they can ignore (like one-page cover letters). An example cover letter is included.