Transitioning from doctoral student to assistant professor involves many changes for junior faculty beginning tenure-track careers. Research, teaching, and service demands, on top of adjusting to a new home environment, create tremendous pressures on tenure-lined, junior faculty members to adapt and perform. By understanding influences of junior faculty work-life balance, departments can become more aware of the unique, individual needs to help make their junior faculty successful, both personally and professionally. Drawing on social exchange theory, this study utilizes surveys to junior faculty in all NASPAA-accredited, public affairs programs in the United States. Data are analyzed using structural equation modeling and demonstrates that workload, presence of work-life balance policies, and stress have a significant direct impact on work-life balance satisfaction of junior faculty. The findings from this research have significant implications for universities that want to “care for/tend to” and retain their junior faculty members, as junior faculty success impacts the prestige of the program, school, and university through their scholarly achievements, teaching contributions, and service activities.
AustinA. E., & RiceR. E. (1998). Making tenure viable. Listening to early career faculty. American Behavioral Scientist, 41(5), 736–754. https://doi.org/10.1177/0002764298041005009
3.
BeauregardT. A., & HenryL. C. (2009). Making the link between work-life balance practices and organizational performance. Human Resource Management Review, 19(1), 9–22. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.hrmr.2008.09.001
4.
BellA. S.RajendranD., & TheilerS. (2012). Job stress, wellbeing, work-life balance and work-life conflict among Australian academics. E-Journal of Applied Psychology, 8(1), 25–37. https://doi.org/10.7790/ejap.v8i1.320
BozemanB., & GaughanM. (2011). Job satisfaction among university faculty: Individual, work, and institutional determinants. The Journal of Higher Education, 82(2), 154–186. https://doi.org/10.1353/jhe.2011.0011
9.
BristowD.AmyxD.CastleberryS. B., & CochranJ. J. (2011). A cross-generational comparison of motivational factors in a sales career among Gen-X and Gen-Y college students. Journal of Personal Selling & Sales Management, 31(1), 77–85. https://doi.org/10.2753/PSS0885-3134310105
10.
BroughP.HoltJ.BauldR.BiggsA., & RyanC. (2008). The ability of work—life balance policies to influence key social/organisational issues. Asia Pacific Journal of Human Resources, 46(3), 261–274. https://doi.org/10.1177/1038411108095758
11.
CatanoV.FrancisL.HainesT.KirpalaniH.ShannonH.StringerB., & Lozanksi, L. (2007). A survey of occupational stress among Canadian university academic staff. Canadian Association of University Teachers.
ConnellyR., & GhodseeK. (2011). Professor mommy: Finding work-family balance in academia. Rowman & Littlefield Publishers.
14.
CropanzanoR., & MitchellM. S. (2005). Social exchange theory: An interdisciplinary review. Journal of Management, 31(6), 874–900. https://doi.org/10.1177/0149206305279602
15.
CurnaliaR. M., & MermerD. (2018). Renewing our commitment to tenure, academic freedom, and shared governance to navigate challenges in higher education. Review of Communication, 18(2), 129–139. https://doi.org/10.1080/15358593.2018.1438645
16.
DenhardtR. B.DenhardtJ. V.AristiguetaM. R., & RawlingsR. (2020). Managing human behavior in public and nonprofit organizations (5th ed.). Sage Publications, Ltd.
17.
DillmanD. A. (2007). Mail and internet surveys: The tailored design approach (2nd ed.). John Wiley & Sons.
18.
DragoR., & ColbeckC. (2003). The mapping project: Exploring the terrain of US colleges and universities for faculty and families. The Pennsylvania State University.
19.
FelsA. (2004). Do women lack ambition?Harvard Business Review, 82(4), 50–60. https://europepmc.org/article/med/15077366
20.
FinkL. D. (1984). Situational factors affecting teaching. In EbleK. E. (Ed.), First year of college teaching. New directions for teaching and learning (pp. 37–60). Jossey-Bass.
21.
ForzaC., & FilippiniR. (1998). TQM impact on quality conformance and customer satisfaction: A causal model. International Journal of Production Economics, 55(1), 1–20. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0925-5273(98)00007-3
22.
FoxM. F.FonsecaC., & BaoJ. (2011). Work and family conflict in academic science: Patterns and predictors among women and men in research universities. Social Studies of Science, 41(5), 715–735. https://doi.org/10.1177/0306312711417730
23.
FroneM. R.RussellM., & CooperM. L. (1993). Relationship of work‐family conflict, gender, and alcohol expectancies to alcohol use/abuse. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 14(6), 545–558. https://doi.org/10.1002/job.4030140604
24.
Gaio SantosG., & Cabral-CardosoC. (2008). Work-family culture in academia: A gendered view of work-family conflict and coping strategies. Gender in Management: An International Journal, 23(6), 442–457. https://doi.org/10.1108/17542410810897553
25.
GajendranR. S., & HarrisonD. A. (2007). The good, the bad, and the unknown about telecommuting: Meta-analysis of psychological mediators and individual consequences. Journal of Applied Psychology, 92(6), 1524. https://doi.org/10.1037/0021-9010.92.6.1524
HagedornL. S. (2000). Conceptualizing faculty job satisfaction: Components, theories, and outcomes. New Directions for Institutional Research, 2000(105), 5–20. https://doi.org/10.1002/ir.10501
28.
HairJ. F.GabrielM., & PatelV. (2014). AMOS covariance-based structural equation modeling (CB-SEM): Guidelines on its application as a marketing research tool. Brazilian Journal of Marketing, 13(2), 44–55. https://doi.org/10.5585/remark.v13i2.2718
29.
HaysR. D., & MoralesL. S. (2001). The RAND 36 measure of health-related quality of life. Annals of Medicine, 33(5), 350–357. https://doi.org/10.3109/07853890109002089
JudgeT. A.ThoresenC. J.BonoJ. E., & PattonG. K. (2001). The job satisfaction–job performance relationship: A qualitative and quantitative review. Psychological Bulletin, 127(3), 376. https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-2909.127.3.376
32.
JudgeT. A.WeissH. M.Kammeyer-MuellerJ. D., & HulinC. L. (2017). Job attitudes, job satisfaction, and job affect: A century of continuity and of change. Journal of Applied Psychology, 102(3), 356. https://doi.org/10.1037/apl0000181
33.
KachchafR.KoL.HodariA., & OngM. (2015). Career–life balance for women of color: Experiences in science and engineering academia. Journal of Diversity in Higher Education, 8(3), 175. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0039068
34.
KinmanG., & JonesF. (2008). Effort-reward imbalance, over-commitment and work-life conflict: Testing an expanded model. Journal of Managerial Psychology, 23(3), 236–251. https://doi.org/10.1108/02683940810861365
35.
KlineR. B. (2015). Principles and practice of structural equation modeling. Guilford publications.
LazarI.OsoianC., & RatiuP. (2010). The role of work-life balance practices in order to improve organizational performance. European Research Studies, 13(1), 201. https://doi.org/10.35808/ersj/267
38.
LesterJ. (2013). Work-life balance and cultural change: A narrative of eligibility. The Review of Higher Education, 36(4), 463–488. https://doi.org/10.1353/rhe.2013.0037
39.
LindfeltT.IpE. J.GomezA., & BarnettM. J. (2018). The impact of work-life balance on intention to stay in academia: Results from a national survey of pharmacy faculty. Research in Social and Administrative Pharmacy, 14(4), 387–390. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sapharm.2017.04.008
40.
LiuM. C. (2001). The adaptation and experience of foreign-born faculty members in the United States [Doctoral dissertation]. Claremont Graduate University.
41.
MasonM. A., & GouldenM. (2004). Marriage and baby blues: Redefining gender equity in the academy. The Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, 596(1), 86–103. https://doi.org/10.1177/0002716204268744
MillerA. N.TaylorS. G., & BedeianA. G. (2011). Publish or perish: Academic life as management faculty live it. Career Development International, 16(5), 422–445. https://doi.org/10.1108/13620431111167751
44.
National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). (2010). General social surveys – Quality of work life module. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/stress/qwlquest.html
45.
NishishibaM.NelsonH. T., & ShinnC. W. (2005). Explicating factors that foster civic engagement among students. Journal of Public Affairs Education, 11(4), 269–285. https://doi.org/10.1080/15236803.2005.12001402
O’LaughlinE. M., & BischoffL. G. (2005). Balancing parenthood and academia: Work/family stress as influenced by gender and tenure status. Journal of Family Issues, 26(1), 79–106. https://doi.org/10.1177/0192513X04265942
48.
OlsenD.MapleS. A., & StageF. K. (1995). Women and minority faculty job satisfaction: Professional role interests, professional satisfactions, and institutional fit. The Journal of Higher Education, 66(3), 267–293. https://doi.org/10.2307/2943892
49.
PernaL. W. (2005). Sex differences in faculty tenure and promotion: The contribution of family ties. Research in Higher Education, 46(3), 277–307. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11162-004-1641-2
50.
PerryJ. L., & WiseL. R. (1990). The motivational bases of public service. Public Administration Review, 50(3), 367–373. https://doi.org/10.2307/976618
51.
PettyM. M.McGeeG. W., & CavenderJ. W. (1984). A meta-analysis of the relationships between individual job satisfaction and individual performance. Academy of Management Review, 9(4), 712–721. https://doi.org/10.5465/amr.1984.4277608
52.
PreacherK. J., & MacCallumR. C. (2002). Exploratory factor analysis in behavior genetics research: Factor recovery with small sample sizes. Behavior Genetics, 32(2), 153–161. https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1015210025234
53.
RafnsdóttirG. L., & HeijstraT. M. (2013). Balancing work–family life in academia: The power of time. Gender, Work, and Organization, 20(3), 283–296. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-0432.2011.00571.x
54.
RantanenJ.KinnunenU.MaunoS., & TillemannK. (2011). Introducing theoretical approaches to work-life balance and testing a new typology among professionals. In Kaiser, S., Ringlstetter, M. J., Eikhof, D. R., & Cunha, M. P. E. (Eds.), Creating balance? (pp. 27–46). Springer.
55.
ReddickR. J.RochlenA. B.GrassoJ. R.ReillyE. D., & SpikesD. D. (2012). Academic fathers pursuing tenure: A qualitative study of work-family conflict, coping strategies, and departmental culture. Psychology of Men & Masculinity, 13(1), 1–15. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0023206
56.
RynesS. L.GerhartB., & MinetteK. A. (2004). The importance of pay in employee motivation: Discrepancies between what people say and what they do. Human Resource Management: Published in Cooperation with the School of Business Administration, the University of Michigan and in Alliance with the Society of Human Resources Management, 43(4), 381–394. https://doi.org/10.1002/hrm.20031
SeifertT. A., & UmbachP. D. (2008). The effects of faculty demographic characteristics and disciplinary context on dimensions of job satisfaction. Research in Higher Education, 49(4), 357–381. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11162-007-9084-1
59.
SheridanJ. (2019). Study of faculty worklife at UW-Madison. Women in Science and Engineering Leadership Institute. https://wiseli.wisc.edu/research/sfw/
60.
SmithE., & WittS. L. (1993). A comparative study of occupational stress among African American and White university faculty: A research note. Research in Higher Education, 34(2), 229–241. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00992163
61.
SmithK. T.SmithL. M., & BrowerT. R. (2016). How work-life balance, job performance, and ethics connect: Perspectives of current and future accountants. In Research on Professional Responsibility and Ethics in Accounting. Emerald Group Publishing Limited, 20, 219–238.
SorcinelliM. D. (1992). New and junior faculty stress: Research and responses. New Directions for Teaching and Learning, 50(50), 27–37. https://doi.org/10.1002/tl.37219925005
64.
SorcinelliM. D., & NearJ. (1989). Relations between work and life away from work among university faculty. Journal of Higher Education, 60(l), 59–81. https://doi.org/10.2307/1982111
65.
SorensenS. Ø. (2017). The performativity of choice: postfeminist perspectives on work–life balance. Gender, Work, and Organization, 24(3), 297–313. https://doi.org/10.1111/gwao.12163
66.
SullivanB.HollensheadC., & SmithG. (2004). Developing and implementing work-family policies for faculty. Academe, 90(6), 24–27. https://doi.org/10.2307/40252702
67.
ThomasL. T., & GangsterD. C. (1995). Impact of family-supportive work variables on work-family conflict and strain: A control perspective. Journal of Applied Psychology, 80(1), 6. https://doi.org/10.1037/0021-9010.80.1.6
TurnerJ. L., & BoiceR. (1989). Experiences of new faculty. Journal of Staff, Program, and Organizational Development, 7(2), 51–57.
72.
WardK., & Wolf-WendellL. (2004). Academic motherhood: Managing complex roles in research universities. The Review of Higher Education, 27(2), 233–257. https://doi.org/10.1353/rhe.2003.0079
73.
WardM. E., & SloaneP. J. (2000). Non‐pecuniary advantages versus pecuniary disadvantages; Job satisfaction among male and female academics in Scottish universities. Scottish Journal of Political Economy, 47(3), 273–303. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-9485.00163
74.
WattsJ., & RobertsonN. (2011). Burnout in university teaching staff: A systematic literature review. Educational Research, 53(1), 33–50. https://doi.org/10.1080/00131881.2011.552235
75.
WeissH. M. (2002). Deconstructing job satisfaction: Separating evaluations, beliefs and affective experiences. Human Resource Management Review, 12(2), 173–194. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1053-4822(02)00045-1
76.
WiltonS., & RossL. (2017). Flexibility, sacrifice and insecurity: A Canadian study assessing the challenges of balancing work and family in academia. Journal of Feminist Family Therapy, 29(1–2), 66–87. https://doi.org/10.1080/08952833.2016.1272663
77.
WittS. L., & LovrichN. P. (1988). Sources of stress among faculty: Gender differences. The Review of Higher Education, 11(3), 269–284. https://doi.org/10.1353/rhe.1988.0020
78.
WolfingerN. H.MasonM. A., & GouldenM. (2009). Stay in the game: Gender, family formation and alternative trajectories in the academic life course. Social Forces, 87(3), 1591–1621. https://doi.org/10.1353/sof.0.0182
