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The assessment of job satisfaction of hospitality educators
Abstract
Job satisfaction has been studied extensively for many years now. Many different occupational groups have been studied yet satisfaction of university faculty has just recently gained the attention of researchers. Much of the research has been limited in scope and generalizability because it has centered on single institutions at one point in time. A recent review of the literature of satisfaction among university faculty suggests that overall satisfaction is decreasing and that faculty are least satisfied with compensation, working conditions, and university administration. The purpose of the current study was: (1) to develop and validate an instrument suitable for measuring the satisfaction of university faculty and (2) to assess the satisfaction levels of faculty employed at four-year hospitality management programs in the United States and Canada. An instrument, which was based on several existing instruments, was developed and mailed to all four-year members of the Council on Hotel, Restaurant, and Institutional Education. The questionnaire included questions which measured satisfaction with various job aspects. Fifty percent of the sample were also asked to complete a version of the Job Descriptive Index (JDI), a widely used job satisfaction instrument; A total of 233 completed questionnaires were received, representing a response rate of 58.25 percent. In addition, 88 JDI forms were returned. A factor analysis of the satisfaction items indicated that educators were most satisfied with a Work Achievement factor and were least satisfied with Support/Assistance and Compensation factors. Also, Support/Assistance and Evaluation were the two factors identified by educators as being the most important. Three of the factors common to the questionnaire and the JDI showed generally high correlations. The ten job factors which emerged were all shown to contribute to the educators' overall levels of satisfaction. Significant findings included greatest satisfaction levels existed among senior level faculty. Finally, suggestions for future research and continued validation studies were presented. Specifically, it was suggested that future studies should focus upon comparisons of hospitality educators and industry executives. It was also recommended that the instrument be further developed and validated.
Subject Area
Higher education|Educational administration
Recommended Citation
Barrows, Clayton W, "The assessment of job satisfaction of hospitality educators" (1990). Doctoral Dissertations Available from Proquest. AAI9110101.
https://scholarworks.umass.edu/dissertations/AAI9110101