Georgia Educational Research Association Conference

Are Professors Satisfied With Their Work? The Factors That Influence Professors’ Job Satisfaction

This study aims to explore professors’ job satisfaction and the factors that influence their satisfaction. To achieve these research purposes, the study was conducted with survey and interviews. Full-time and tenured professors in Taiwan (n=117) were invited to complete an online survey. Interviews were conducted (n=50) to investigate professors’ perceptions of their job. Sample included participants of various characteristics and backgrounds. The results showed that professors tend to feel satisfied with their job. They were dissatisfied with the working environment of their universities but satisfied with the nature of academic work. The study found that the teacher grievance mechanisms, the reward system, the fulfillment of job, and relationships among colleagues are important factors that influence professors’ job satisfaction. In addition, full professors had higher job satisfaction than assistant professors. The results echoed the Motivator-Hygiene Theory proposed by Herzberg (Lacy & Sheehan, 1997). Universities need to improve the regulations and systems of working environments by meeting professors’ needs to prevent professors’ dissatisfaction with their job, but to increase the fulfillment comes from the nature of the academic work to enhance professors’ job satisfaction.