Prestige, Sponsorship, and Institutional Type Matching in the Academic Labor Market

• In Event: 067 - Section on Science, Knowledge and Technology Roundtables (one-hour)
  In Refereed Roundtable: Section on Science, Knowledge and Technology Roundtables (one-hour). Table 01. Structures of Science

Abstract

Existing research on academic careers has found that factors such as prestige and advisor involvement have a significant impact on prestige, salary and other career factors at research extensive institutions . Additionally, a substantial body of research studies the impact of research-teaching balance and career satisfaction. This paper attempts to draw from both areas of research in order to understand the impact that prestige, advisor involvement, and cultural capital have on whether professors are able to work at their preferred academic institution type. That is, what determines if an individual with a preference for research oriented institutions works at a Research Extensive university? Or whether an individual with a preference for teaching works at a Liberal Arts college? Using data from a nationally representative sample of faculty at four different Carnegie institution types (research extensive, research intensive, masters and liberal arts colleges), we conduct a series of multivariate models to determine the relative weight of different individual and institutional characteristics on institutional type matching. We find that doctoral institutional prestige plays a significant role in matching individuals with their preferred institutional type, but that advisor involvement only has an impact on those with a preference for research oriented institutions.

Authors

• Diogo Lemieszek Pinheiro, Savannah State University

• Julia Melkers, Georgia Institute of Technology

• Sunni Newton, Georgia Institute of Technology