Education Stream

This paper presents survey findings relating to academics ’ work attitudes and responses to corporate reforms within eight Australian universities. Academics (n=1,041) responded to the Academic Work Environment Survey, a diagnostic questionnaire designed to examine the quality of academic work life within universities in Australia (Winter, Taylor, & Sarros, 2000). Academics indicated strong positive responses to items indicative of corporate reforms across the higher education sector (i.e., decreased public funding, rise of consumerism, increased competition, quality assurance mechanisms, academic accountability, entrepreneurialism), reported high levels of role overload (stress) and moderate levels of job involvement and organisational commitment. Value conflict statements indicated academics felt market behaviour mechanisms and business-related principles were compromising the primary goals of teaching, learning and scholarship and exerting a strong negative effect on academic morale and productivity. Negative commitment responses indicated a violation in the ‘psychological contract ’ between academics and their universities (work stress, poor recognition and rewards practices