Job perceptions of contingent and traditional faculty.(Report)

Abstract

The use of contingent workers has increased in recent years, particularly within the field of higher education. In addition to the use of adjuncts to meet fluctuating demands, many universities have increased the number of full-time faculty not on the tenure-track. Relationships between job satisfaction, perceived organizational support, and quality of exchange relationships among tenured, tenure-track, and contingent faculty were examined. Traditional faculty members reported higher levels of satisfaction and organizational support, however there were few differences in perceptions of the quality of working relationships.

Introduction

The number of contingent (non-tenure track) faculty has steadily increased over the past decade. Reasons frequently cited for this increase are constrained budgets and the ability to meet fluctuating demands. While the use of contingent faculty provides greater flexibility to university administrations, there have been claims that contingent faculty prefer said status because it offers them flexibility as well. The counter argument to the advantages of short-term cost savings and flexibility is that the working relationships within departments suffer. This study examines reasons for working in contingent positions and explores perceptions of job satisfaction, perceived organizational support, and quality of exchange relationships among tenured, tenure track, and contingent faculty.

Trends in Contingent Employment

The traditional employment relationship has changed over the years as employers in both the public and private sectors have continually increased their use of contingent workers. The term contingent work was introduced by Audrey Freedman in 1985 to describe the technique of utilizing workers based on the demand for services. In 1989 the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) introduced a broad definition of contingent workers as "those who do not have an implicit or explicit contract for long-term employment." (Polivka & Nardone, 1989, p.11). Based upon the broadest measurement of contingent employment there were 5.7 million contingent workers in 2005 (BLS, 2005). The increased use of contingent employment is also evident within the field of higher education. According to one BLS analyst (Hipple, 2001), "Of the 621,000 contingent workers with advanced degrees in 1999, 156,000, or 1 in every 4, was employed as a college or university instructor" (p. 11). A report issued by the American Association of University Professors (2003) indicates that a generation ago non-tenure track appointments were rare, accounting for only 3.3% of full-time faculty positions in 1969. In comparison, full-time non-tenure track faculty increased to 28.1% in 1998. Adjunct appointments are even higher--up from 22% in 1970 to 46% of all faculty in 1998 (Schuster, 1998). A comparison of data from the 1993, 1999, and 2004 National Study of Postsecondary Faculty reveals that non-tenure track positions have steadily increased at both two-year and four-year public institutions (see Table 1). See issue website http://www.rapidintellect.com/AEQweb/sum2007.htm

Gender, Race, and Ethnicity of Contingent Faculty