Employee engagement: exploring higher education non-tenure track faculty members’ perceptions

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Brad J. Kovaleski ◽  
Vishal Arghode
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Employee Engagement ◽  
Phenomenological Approach ◽  
Faculty Members ◽  
Full Time ◽  
Tenure Track ◽  
Content Type ◽  
North East ◽  
Tenure Track Faculty ◽  
Data Clusters

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to study employee engagement in higher education by examining full-time non-tenure track faculty members’ perceptions at a North East US state public university. Design/methodology/approach The authors used semi-structured face-to-face personal interviews with 11 non-tenure track full-time university faculty. Using a phenomenological approach, thematic analysis was conducted for employee interview data. The data was further refined through first and second cycle coding. The primary eight coded clusters were further reduced to three data clusters, each representing an evolving unit of meaning. Findings The analysis revealed three themes relating to how full-time non-tenure track faculty experience and understand engagement: required institutional engagement, perceived necessary engagement and relational collegial engagement. Originality/value The study adds to the limited research available on non-tenure track faculty members within higher education organization and their perceptions of engagement.

Faculty Socialization and Gaining Tenure

2020 ◽  
pp. 51-71
Author(s):  
Carol A. Olszewski ◽  
Catherine A. Hansman
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Ethical Issues ◽  
Faculty Members ◽  
Full Time ◽  
Tenure Track ◽  
Faculty Socialization ◽  
Acculturation Process ◽  
Policies And Procedures ◽  
And Gender ◽  
Tenure Process

In higher education, ethical principles should guide administrators to develop policies and procedures that are just and fair to faculty, administrators, staff, and students and, as well, consider the needs of the various stakeholders affected by them. One example of a process that should be planned and carried out in an ethical way is the tenure-track process for faculty members. The purpose of this chapter is to discuss ethical issues and challenges institutions of higher education face in the tenure process and in socializing new full-time tenure track faculty members into academe. The authors discuss the acculturation process into the academy, then focus on interpersonal interactions and relationships, including mentoring and other supportive relationships and gender and minority issues that may affect the tenure process and acculturation into the academy. They conclude with future concerns and discussion of the ethical considerations for socializing faculty members into academe.

scholarly journals Roles of Mentoring for Novice Athletic Training Faculty Members

2017 ◽  
Vol 12 (4) ◽  
pp. 234-243 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sara L. Nottingham ◽  
Stephanie M. Mazerolle ◽  
Jessica L. Barrett
Keyword(s):  
Faculty Member ◽  
Athletic Training ◽  
Phenomenological Approach ◽  
Faculty Members ◽  
Tenure Track ◽  
Faculty Roles ◽  
Faculty Position ◽  
Novice Faculty ◽  
Tenure Track Faculty

Context: Mentorship is a valuable resource for athletic trainers who are transitioning to new roles such as a student, preceptor, or autonomous clinician. While mentorship has been identified as an important component of education, little is known about the role of mentorship during the transition from doctoral student to faculty member during the first several years in academia. Objective: Obtain faculty members' perspectives on the role of mentorship as it relates to their experiences as a tenure-track faculty member. Design: Qualitative, phenomenological research. Setting: Higher education institutions with Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education-accredited programs. Patients or Other Participants: Twelve novice faculty members (9 female, 3 male) and 12 experienced faculty members (3 female, 9 male) participated in this study. Main Outcome Measure(s): We developed and piloted an interview guide designed to gain participants' perspectives on their experiences with and perceptions of mentorship in relation to their faculty roles and responsibilities. Semistructured telephone interviews were completed with each individual and transcribed verbatim. Data were analyzed using a phenomenological approach, and saturation was obtained. Trustworthiness was established with the use of member checking, multiple-analysts triangulation, and data source triangulation. Results: Two themes emerged regarding roles of mentorship: (1) support and guidance and (2) navigating institutional politics and expectations. Mentors supported novice faculty members in their responsibilities of teaching, research, and service, particularly when mentees perceived a weakness in 1 area. Mentors also helped novice faculty members navigate the tenure and promotion process and politics of their institution. Conclusions: Mentorship appears to be an important mechanism of support for novice faculty members as they transition to their tenure-track faculty roles. Mentorship appears to be particularly valuable when there is a perceived lack of preparation for 1 aspect of a faculty position. Novice faculty members should seek out mentors within and beyond their institution for support.

Organic Leadership Style and Employee Engagement: The Mediating Effect of Social Relevance of Work in Context of Faculty Members in Higher Education

2017 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
G.P. Dang ◽  
Puneet Basur
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Employee Engagement ◽  
Leadership Style ◽  
Faculty Members ◽  
Mediating Effect ◽  
Social Relevance ◽  
Mediating Role ◽  
Group Members ◽  
Operational Excellence

Leadership Style has been since long acknowledged by management scholars as being an important subject in relation to organizational executions and outcome. An effective leadership would not only be able to prevent job stress and burnout among group members, but would also be successful in enhancing the motivation and engagement of the employees. It has been widely accepted that operational excellence in an organization can only be maintained through engaged employees. In this study the researchers have strived to enhance the understanding of the complex relationship between the organic leadership style and the engagement level of the employees and to further comprehend the mediating role of social relevance of work in association of the two constructs i.e. leadership style and employee engagement, in context of faculty members in higher education sector.

The career paths of social marketing doctoral graduates

2017 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 18-50 ◽  
Author(s):  
V. Dao Truong
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Social Marketing ◽  
Career Paths ◽  
Research Collaboration ◽  
Full Time ◽  
Doctoral Graduates ◽  
Content Type ◽  
For Profit ◽  
Not For Profit ◽  
The Social

Purpose Although the social marketing field has developed relatively quickly, little is known about the careers of students who chose social marketing as their main subject of study. Such research is important not only because it reveals employment trends and mobility but also because it informs policy making with respect to curriculum development as well as raises governmental and societal interest in the social marketing field. This paper aims to analyse the career pathways of doctoral graduates who examined social marketing as the subject of their theses. Doctoral graduates represent a special group in a knowledge economy, who are considered the best qualified for the creation and dissemination of knowledge and innovation. Design/methodology/approach A search strategy identified 209 doctoral-level social marketing theses completed between 1971 and 2015. A survey was then delivered to dissertation authors, which received 117 valid responses. Findings Results indicate that upon graduation, most graduates secured full-time jobs, where about 66 per cent worked in higher education, whereas the others worked in the government, not-for-profit and private sectors. Currently, there is a slight decline in the number of graduates employed in the higher education, government and not-for-profit sectors but an increase in self-employed graduates. A majority of graduates are working in the USA, the UK, Australia and Canada. Overall, levels of international mobility and research collaboration are relatively low. Originality/value This is arguably the first study to examine the career paths of social marketing doctoral graduates.

Determination of criteria for assessing the quality of training future specialists for higher education

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ludmila Sokorutova ◽  
Natalia Prodanova ◽  
Inna Ponomareva ◽  
Oleg Volodin
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Personal Development ◽  
Full Time ◽  
Highly Qualified ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Survey Results ◽  
Professional Employee ◽  
Professional Fields

PurposeThe most important problem for higher education in the post-COVID period is the production of highly qualified specialists for the labor market. The purpose of this study is to determine effective criteria for assessing the quality of training of future specialists and the adequacy of their readiness to solve real problems of the future specialty.Design/methodology/approachA study was carried out among students in order to determine some of the most important characteristics of them as future specialists. Based on the survey results, non-academic indicators were identified that participants perceive as significant for a highly professional employee. The empirical study included 300 undergraduate students from four universities (66% women and 34% men aged 20–21). All participants represent full-time training.FindingsThe survey showed that the participants identified the ability to learn and personal development as the most significant personal qualities.Originality/valueMany criteria for assessing the quality of training of specialists in different professional fields have not been precisely defined. Several ways of solving this problem can be proposed: developing criteria for assessing quality in hiring; revising the methods of work of universities; presenting to students the criteria for development in the profession or adopting international criteria for assessing pedagogical quality.

Reflecting on over a year of remote training, and where businesses must go from here

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Nikolas Kairinos
Keyword(s):  
Employee Engagement ◽  
Business Leaders ◽  
Full Time ◽  
Remote Work ◽  
Learning And Development ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Remote Training ◽  
Training Schemes ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Full Time Employment

Purpose The study aims to explore how businesses across the UK have adapted to over a year of remote training, and where there is room for improvement as long-term hybrid working plans are put in place. The study also uncovers what digital tools businesses have relied on to deliver learning and development initiatives during remote working, and their effects on employee engagement and experience. Design/methodology/approach An independent body of research was commissioned among 750 UK business leaders and 1,235 UK adults in full-time employment. Findings The research found that while the majority of businesses were able to leverage digital solutions during extended periods of remote work, significant numbers found it difficult to train and develop employees remotely, with many employees dissatisfied with the outcomes. Originality/value The research offers some valuable insights for business leaders looking to improve their training schemes as workplaces settle into new patterns of working.

Employee Engagement: A Study on Perception of Teachers in Higher Education

2021 ◽  
pp. 286-290
Author(s):  
Ashwini Kundar ◽  
Pakkeerappa P.
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Employee Engagement ◽  
Service Sector ◽  
Education Level ◽  
Faculty Members ◽  
Primary Sources ◽  
Business Strategies ◽  
Know How ◽  
Overall Performance

Employee engagement is an important factor to be considered while developing any kind of business strategies and it plays an important role in improving overall performance of an organisation. As the importance of employee engagement in service sector has increased to a great extent now, it becomes necessary to know how it works for the benefit of organisation and how it contributes for the success of the organisation. The main objective of the study is to know the commitment and engagement of teachers at higher education level. It is very much important to know the level of commitment and engagement of teachers or faculty members that leads to development of the students and also the institution. The study is empirical in nature and the data is collected from primary sources. The findings suggest that there is a higher-level engagement and commitment among the faculty members for the organisations they work for. Higher level of engagement leads to the development of the institution.

scholarly journals Teacher Fellow accreditation – a madrigal of voices! But is it the right tune? Tensions of standardisation, engagement and neoliberalism

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Hazel Kershaw-Solomon ◽  
Nick Beech ◽  
Jeff Gold ◽  
Julia Claxton ◽  
Tricia Auty ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Human Resource Development ◽  
Employee Engagement ◽  
Peer Relationships ◽  
Academic Staff ◽  
Professional Status ◽  
Critical Approach ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Competency Frameworks ◽  
The Impact

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore the impact competency frameworks as standardisation can have on the employee engagement of academic staff within higher education (HE) through their employment as managerial tools. Design/methodology/approach A literature review is conducted from which the conditions for effective competency frameworks are evaluated and the influence of changes in the HE environment in the form of political agendas and tight resources are explored. Findings This paper provides insights into the dynamics of public service modernisation and the tensions between the dominant discourse of managerialism and the degree of agency afforded to professional academics. It highlights the relevance of informal peer relationships in setting the climate to generate collegial bonding and professional engagement that underpin successful teacher fellowship accreditations. It further highlights the key role managers play in this process and provides a conceptual framework highlighting the dynamics and combined effect of employee engagement and competency frameworks set within complex HE environment. Practical implications This paper brings together the prerequisites for effective implementation of competency frameworks to implement successful employee engagement strategies set within the complexities of the HE context, which has not been studied to date. Armed with such insights, Human Resource Development (HRD) departments and universities can implement competency assessments that generate greater staff engagement. Originality/value The paper provides a critical approach in reviewing the impact of Continued Professional Development and its link to professional status and thus helps British Universities and others to understand how the mechanisms at work affect engagement levels of academic staff. Armed with this depth of understanding of how the change initiative works, with whom and under what circumstances, universities will be better able to meet target UK Professional Standards Framework membership levels required by the higher education academy (HEA) and, subsequently, the HEA to meet their targets for the government.

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