Masters Thesis

Stem Faculty Job Satisfaction: Demographic Characteristics and the Role of Department Climate

Research over the last several decades has suggested that women and minorities are underrepresented in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) academic fields and experience lower job satisfaction and higher voluntary turnover rates than White men. The current study utilized a workplace satisfaction survey to identify relevant climate factors explaining the relationships between gender, minority status, rank, and discipline, and job satisfaction. Participants in this study were STEM and non STEM tenure-track and tenured university professors (N = 128). Individual-level faculty variables did not predict job satisfaction at this institution, and subsequently, there were no relationships between demographics and job satisfaction for climate variables to mediate. However, there is some evidence that the sample was not representative of the population, and these findings may not generalize well. Exploratory analyses revealed that three of the seven climate factors predict job satisfaction: perceptions of trust in department leadership, distributive justice, and belongingness. Additionally, perceptions of trust in department leadership partially mediated the relationships between the other two climate variables and job satisfaction. Recommendations for future research and potential interventions are discussed.

Items in ScholarWorks are protected by copyright, with all rights reserved, unless otherwise indicated.