Understanding LGBT Faculty Members' Job Satisfaction

• In Event: Investigating Gender and Sexuality in the Academy

Abstract

We use data from the Collaborative on Academic Careers in Higher Education (COACHE) to examine lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) faculty members’ job satisfaction at research universities in the United States. Using confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling, we explore LGBT faculty members’ satisfaction with autonomy, amount of interactions with colleagues, recognition, and climate within their departments, and how these constructs effect their overall workplace satisfaction relative to their non-LGBT peers. We find that LGBT faculty are significantly less satisfied with the climate of their department than non-LGBT faculty. Higher satisfaction with autonomy and climate predicted greater overall job satisfaction for both LGBT and non-LGBT faculty. We consider implications for practice and future research.

Authors

• Michael S. Hevel, University of Arkansas

• Ketevan Mamiseishvili, University of Arkansas

• Donghun Lee, University of Arkansas

• Chas Thompson, University of Arkansas at Fayetteville