First-Class Teachers, Second-Class Citizens: Mixed-Methods Investigation of Organizational Commitment Among Non-Tenure-Track Faculty

• In Event: A Continuum of Faculty Experiences: Teaching at Different Ranks

Abstract

Non-tenure track faculty (NTTF) appointments are proliferating at all levels of the academy. Theories of organizational commitment suggest that contingent faculty members should be less committed due to the lower investment that the institution places in their positions. This deficit approach to contingent faculty consequently assumes that they will exhibit a lower organizational commitment than their tenure-eligible peers, yet little research has actually measured their commitments. This mixed methods sequential explanatory study measures affective organizational commitment (AOC) among NTTF, uses a regression analysis to identify predictors, and employs qualitative interviews to investigate how AOC develops. Organizational sense of belonging and STEM discipline were found to be statistically significant. Six themes were identified. Implications for the sector are discussed.

Author

• Melissa Ann Altman, James Madison University