Motivation and Work Satisfaction in a Liberal Arts College Faculty

The purpose of the study was to assess the work motivation and satisfaction of faculty in a liberal arts college. Relationships among demographic variables and job satisfaction scales as well as relationships between motivation and job satisfaction were explored. The theoretical framework was expectancy theory (Vroom, 1964) and job facet satisfaction. Instrumentation consisted of the Motivation and Reward Scale (Herrick, 1974), which measured valence, instrumentality, and expectancy, and the Minnesota Satisfaction Questionnaire, Long Form (1967), which measured satisfaction with 20 individual facets of work satisfaction as well as overall job satisfaction. Ninety-seven faculty out of a population of 129 responded to mailed questionnaires. Data were analyzed using Pearson product-moment correlations, ANOVA, and Scheffe. The probability level for all tests of significance was.05. The major findings were: faculty work satisfaction was correlated with eight of the nine demographic variables selected. Motivation was not significantly correlated with any demographic variables. Motivation was significantly correlated with the individual and collective facets of job satisfaction. The majority of respondents indicated a moderate level of job satisfaction and motivation. No statistically significant differences among the means of satisfaction scores were found for faculty in the various academic divisions. Respondents indicated high valence but low instrumentality of rewards, and high expectancy that their efforts would result in effective teaching and a successful college. Faculty were most satisfied with Creativity, Moral Values, and Responsibility aspects of their work and least satisfied with Company Policies and Practices and Compensation