Job Satisfaction Among Women Accounting Educators

A national survey was conducted to investigate job satisfaction among women accounting educators at four-year college and universities in the United States. The purpose of the study was to determine if differences existed among women accounting educators at research, doctoral, master's, and baccalaureate institutions in three areas relating to job satisfaction: levels of job satisfaction, individual sources of job satisfaction, and structural sources of job satisfaction. Also, the relationships among these three areas of job satisfaction were examined. A stratified random sample of 755 women accounting educators was selected from the population of 1,519 women. A mailed questionnaire was used to collect data. A total of 495 (66%) questionnaires were returned. Women accounting educators expressed satisfaction with co-workers, supervision, and work. They were neutral regarding satisfaction with pay and dissatisfied with promotion opportunities. A difference was detected between satisfaction with pay and type of institution. Differences were found between individual sources of job satisfaction and type of institution. The differences were attributable to education level and the personality characteristics of conscientiousness and openness. Differences were detected between structural sources of job satisfaction and type of institution. Academic rank, salary, tenure, institutional resources, and job functions accounted for the differences. Significant relationships were found between individual and structural sources of job satisfaction and levels ofjob satisfaction. Satisfaction with co-workers was related to agreeableness, conscientiousness, neuroticism, institutional resources, mentoring, and time spent on research. Satisfaction with pay was related to neuroticism, salary, academic rank, and institutional resources. Satisfaction with promotion opportunities was related to agreeableness, salary, tenure, institutional resources, mentoring, networking, other job functions, and type of institution. Satisfaction with supervision was related to personal roles, agreeableness, salary, institutional resources, mentoring, research, and advising students. Satisfaction with work was related to marital status, personal roles, agreeableness, neuroticism, institutional resources, and mentoring. It was concluded that differences exist among women accounting educators at research, doctorate, master's, and baccalaureate institutions. Also, it was possible to determine relationships between individual and structural sources ofjob satisfaction and levels ofjob satisfaction.