Job satisfaction among academic staff: An international perspective

This study examined aspects of academics'satisfaction with theirjob across the eight nations (Australia, Germany, Hong Kong, Israel, Mexico,Sweden, UK, USA). Interesting patterns emerged across countries reflectingdifferences in the international academic climate. The study also exploredpatterns of job satisfaction and dissatisfaction more closely for theAustralian data, and examined the impact of context elements, includingworking climate and atmosphere, on general levels of job satisfaction.Results indicated that factors related to the environment in which academicswork, including university atmosphere, morale, sense of community, andrelationships with colleagues, are the greatest predictors of jobsatisfaction. Implications for university management and governing bodiesare discussed.     

Learning environments at higher education institutions: Relationships with academic aspirations and satisfaction

This study investigated university students?? perceptions of their institutions?? learning environments, and related those perceptions to students?? academic aspirations and satisfaction with their universities. A sample of 12,423 juniors at 42 universities in Taiwan was used to confirm the validity and reliability of the instrument: CUEI-S. The study revealed diversity of students?? perceptions among specific aspects of the learning environment. Students responded more positively for student cohesion, library resources and administrative support, but less positively for student-faculty relations, student services, enhancement of their language abilities and emotional development. The majority of students had low academic aspirations but felt satisfied with their universities. The learning environment on campus was shown to play an important role both in students?? academic aspirations and in their general satisfaction, whether the individual student or the university was used as the unit of analysis. The relationship between faculty and students is the aspect that was most strongly associated with students?? academic aspirations. On the other hand, both adequate library resources and university support for student services were the key correlates of students?? general satisfaction at the individual student level. By identifying important relationships among variables, this study suggests initiatives for improving the learning environment at higher education institutions.     

An organizational learning perspective on academic development: A strategy for an uncertain future

Abstract

This paper takes as a starting point the interest in organization theory in the idea of ‘learning organizations’ and the practical implications for conceptualizations of academic development. In doing so, it analyses epistemological and methodological complexities associated with the concept of academic development from a perspective that focuses on organizational learning. The contention of the paper is that an appropriate theoretical basis for academic development in the current times is provided by a broad organizational learning perspective. It is argued that an organizational learning methodology for the practice of academic development has the potential to provide powerful learning and feedback structures well‐suited to institutional inquiry and adaptation that will assist universities to meet the turbulence and challenges of an unpredictable future. A vignette from The University of Melbourne describes a prototype for such a methodology.     

Student satisfaction with Portuguese higher education institutions: the view of different types of students

Tertiary Education and Management - The purpose of this paper is to discuss student satisfaction with Portuguese higher education institutions, and to analyse how this varies for different types of...     

The key to organizational performance improvement: A perspective of organizational knowledge creation

The primary purpose of this research is to explore the impacts of knowledge creation practices on organizational performance improvement. Research has been empirically assessed on the basis of the collected data from three Korean private organizations. The concept of knowledge creation theory was adapted as the theoretical framework of this research (Nonaka & Takeuchi, 1995). Structural equation modeling has been used in order to assess the fit of the hypothesized model with the collected data. The result of the confirmatory factor analysis suggests that the hypothesized measurement model is a reliable and valid construct in the Korean context; multiple regression analysis reveals that knowledge creation practices have a positive and strong influence on performance improvement. Conclusions, limitations, and implications for human resource development are discussed.     

Promoting academic satisfaction and performance: Building academic resilience through coping strategies

The aim of this article is twofold: (a) to validate the psychometric properties of the Academic Resilience Scale (AR‐S) in a Spanish university context; and (b) to test a model where different coping strategies are antecedents of AR, and where academic satisfaction and performance are its consequences. The studies were conducted with 185 (study 1) and 780 (study 2) students. In study 1, the construct validity, reliability, and convergent and divergent validity of the AR‐S were analyzed. The hypothesized model (study 2) was tested using structural equation modeling. The results confirmed the good psychometric properties of the AR‐S in the Spanish context, providing evidence of its validity. Furthermore, the distinctive role of different coping strategies in resilience was confirmed, as well as the relationship between resilience and academic satisfaction. No direct relationship between resilience and performance was found, highlighting the full mediation of satisfaction.     

高校学术不端行为成因分析及对策

学术不端行为破坏了高校学术研究的有序发展,探寻其成因,并探究监督查处机制的构建具有重大的现实意义。从主客观两个角度出发,分析当前学术监督机制弱化、学术查处机制虚化是当前高校学术不端行为滋生的制度原因,同时从名利诱惑、成本博弈及道德缺失等学术主体的三个角度论证了高校学术不端行为滋生的原因,以期加强对高校学术不端行为研究,促进高校学术不端行为监督查处机制的构建。     

Student satisfaction and online teaching

This paper presents an analysis of the response of student satisfaction scores to online delivery for courses at a large Australian university. Taking data from 2653 courses delivered since 2011 we employ a difference-in-differences estimator approach to evaluate the impact of a transition from face-to-face learning to online learning of courses on student satisfaction. We estimate that, on a five-point scale, conversion to online learning lowers course satisfaction by about 0.2 points and instructor satisfaction by about 0.15 points. These correspond to shifts relative to the underlying distributions of about 25–30% of a standard deviation. Some implications of the (slight) relative unpopularity of online learning are discussed.     

浅析学生伤害事故中的学校责任

学生伤害事故是学校管理中的常见事故,要正确处理学生伤害事故,必须先明确学校与学生的法律关系是教育关系,而不是监护关系或合同关系;因此学校承担责任的原则只能是过错责任原则,而不能适用无过错责任原则或公平原则;据此,学校仅承担文中所列十三类事故之责任。     

The organisation of academic knowledge: A comparative perspective

How is academic knowledge organized? Does thisvary from country to country, and, if so, how?This paper explores these questions through anexamination of some of the data included in theCommonwealth Universities Yearbook 2001.In particular, an analysis is presented of thedifferent names given to basic academic units(departments, schools and/or faculties) inAustralia, Nigeria and the United Kingdom.Evidence is provided regarding forms ofinstitutional organization, and of the varyingstrength of different disciplines or fields ofstudy.     

Longitudinal relations among economic deprivation,work volition,and academic satisfaction: a psychology of working perspective

International Journal for Educational and Vocational Guidance - Using the Psychology of Working Theory as a guide, the goal of this study was to examine the longitudinal relations of economic...     

Student satisfaction with R vs. Excel in Data Mining and Business Analytics: A Herzberg's motivation-hygiene theory perspective

Applying Herzberg's motivation-hygiene theory, we studied the determinants of student satisfaction in using R in a Decision Support Systems course that previously used Excel to teach Data Mining and Business Analytics (DMBA). The course is a degree requirement, and prior programming experience is not a prerequisite. We hypothesized that motivators for student satisfaction with R would include: (i) an intrinsic interest in DMBA, (ii) a perception that R is a better tool than Excel for DMBA, and (iii) a favorable view of R as a facilitator of career advancement. We postulated that the hygiene factor was the compulsory course requirement to learn R, a new and challenging language to students in this study. Data from 120 students, analyzed using Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and Generalized Additive Modeling (GAM), showed that motivators were positively related to satisfaction while hygiene factors were neutral. Students showed willingness to take on a harder challenge in exchange for intrinsic and future career benefits. The model can be useful in curriculum design or career advisement to increase student satisfaction in learning new software skills while meeting market demands.     

Learning and organizational effectiveness: A systems perspective

The challenge for leaders today is to create and develop the capability of their organization. Leaders must perceive and manage their organization as a dynamic, open system where learning is the core competence underlying innovation, growth, and sustainability. Creating a culture of learning is the first work of leadership. This article presents a practical framework in which to consider organizational effectiveness, emphasizing the critical role of systems thinking and learning theory in organizational development.     

浅析学生伤害事故中的学校责任

学生伤害事故是学校管理中的常见事故,要正确处理学生伤害事故,必须先明确学校与学生的法律关系是教育关系,而不是监护关系或合同关系;因此学校承担责任的原则只能是过错责任原则,而不能适用无过错责任原则或公平原则;据此,学校仅承担文中所列十三类事故之责任.     

The impact of role conflict,role ambiguity and organizational climate on the job satisfaction of academic staff in research-intensive universities in the UK

This study focuses on academics in research-intensive universities in the UK and explores their perceptions of organizational climate, role conflict, role ambiguity and job satisfaction. The findings suggest that the universities have multiple organizational climates. Three organizational climate types – the Clan, the Hierarchy and the Adhocracy – were associated with lower levels of role stress. However, the Market climate was associated with higher levels of role conflict. Only the Clan-type climate was directly related to high levels of job satisfaction. It appears that despite the changes in the styles of management in universities, the collegial/Clan climate is still a very important contributor to the satisfaction of academic staff.