Factors affecting African American Faculty Job Satisfaction

This study sought to discover job satisfaction factors of African American faculty at a historically black university and a predominantly white institution. Through the use of qualitative methods, African American faculty job satisfaction was examined using Linda Evan’s reconceptualization of Herzberg’s motivational hygiene theory. This theoretical framework provided a schema to explore the factors faculty were satisfied by, satisfied with, and dissatisfied with. Data were gathered through the use of semi-structured interviews of six faculty members from a historically black university and five from a predominantly white institution. Several themes emerged with the most salient being that African American faculty at the historically black university were satisfied by their work with students, satisfied with the flexibility of their schedules, and dissatisfied with their pay, workload, and lack of recognition. African American faculty at the predominantly white institution were satisfied by the programs and courses they developed, satisfied with their job’s freedom and flexibility, and dissatisfied with the ideas of being micromanaged or working with dishonest people.