Motivation and Well-Being in Postsecondary Faculty: An International and Immigration Perspective

• In Event: Faculty Teaching, Evaluation, and Development With Equity in Mind

Abstract

This study explored how motivation and job satisfaction of post-secondary faculty vary both cross-culturally (US, UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand) and due to moving internationally for academic work (immigration status). Findings from 1,878 participants showed UK faculty to report the highest identified motivation (e.g., focus on skill development), strongest attributions for academic setbacks to factors beyond their control, and lowest job satisfaction. Immigrant faculty across countries were more likely to report academic setbacks being due to factors that can change (unstable over time) or are within their personal control than non-immigrant faculty. Study findings are discussed in terms of the detrimental psychological correlates of the UK “audit culture” for faculty and potential survivorship bias associated with international academic mobility.

Authors

• Meiting Chen, McGill University

• Nathan C. Hall, McGill University