Occupational Well-Being Among Canadian Faculty Members: Investigating the Role of Basic Psychological Needs

• In Event: Marriott Roundtable Session 21
  In Roundtable Session: Understanding Job Satisfaction in Faculty Careers

Abstract

Satisfaction of psychological needs for autonomy, competence, and relatedness is a key determinant of well-being and high-quality motivation. This construct has been recently examined in relation to occupational well-being in different work settings. However, the relationship between need satisfaction and occupational well-being is left underexplored among faculty members in higher education settings. The present study explores how need satisfaction predicts burnout and engagement, as two aspect of occupational well-being. Questionnaire data from 643 Canadian faculty were analyzed using structural equation modeling. The results show that need satisfaction is a significant predictor of burnout and engagement. Findings of the present study can shed light on the development of interventions targeting satisfaction of basic psychological needs to enhance faculty occupational well-being.

Authors

• Zaynab Sabagh, McGill University

• Nathan C. Hall, McGill University

• Alenoush Saroyan, McGill University

• Sarah-Genevieve Trepanier