Relationship between faculty participation in the decision-making process and job satisfaction at urban, private universities in Connecticut

• Main Author: Woodruff, Mary Martha
• Format: Dissertation
• Language: English
• Published: ProQuest Dissertations & Theses 01-01-1992
• Subjects: Educational administration; Higher education; School administration
• ISBN: 9798208082102

The purpose of this study was to provide for further examination of the issues of university faculty participation in the decision making process relative to job satisfaction and whether selected demographic variables affect faculty job satisfaction and perceptions of participation among faculty at four urban, private universities in the state of Connecticut. Variables of gender, rank, tenure status, length of higher education teaching experience, educational degree level, bargaining unit affiliation and publishing activity were also examined. Instruments used included the Job Descriptive Index, the Conway adaptation of the Alutto-Belasco Decisional Participation Scale and a Personal Data Sheet. The sample consisted of 243 randomly selected full time faculty who were employed at the University of New Haven, Sacred Heart University, the University of Hartford and Quinnipiac College. Anonymity of response was preserved for the individual respondents. Among the findings and conclusions were the following: Faculty satisfaction with their participation status was significantly related to their satisfaction with their work, supervisory relationships and pay level. No significance was found to exist between participation status and satisfaction with promotional opportunities or with colleague relationships. It was found that educational degree level was related to satisfaction with pay and opportunities for promotion but was not significantly related to participation status, work, supervision or to colleague relationships. No differences were found to exist between male and female faculty regarding satisfaction with supervision or co-workers. However, it was found that male faculty were more satisfied with their participation status, their work, pay and opportunities for promotion. Test results indicated that age was not a determinant of satisfaction regarding satisfaction with participation status, supervision, promotional opportunities or relationships with co-workers. Older workers were found to be more satisfied than their younger colleagues with work and pay. Salary level, rank, years teaching and tenure status were all positively correlated to satisfaction with pay and participation status. Salary level and rank were positively correlated with working conditions. Union members were more satisfied with participation status but less satisfied with pay levels than their non-union counterparts. No relationships were found to exist between publishing activity and satisfaction with participation status or satisfaction with any of the job indices.