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Transparency goes a long way: information transparency and its effect on job satisfaction and turnover intentions of the professoriate

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  • Yvette E. Hofmann

    (Bayerisches Staatsinstitut für Hochschulforschung und Hochschulplanung (IHF)
    Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Munich School of Management)

  • Maria Strobel

    (Bayerisches Staatsinstitut für Hochschulforschung und Hochschulplanung (IHF)
    Technische Universität München, TUM School of Management
    Hochschule Mainz)

Abstract

Research and higher education institutions are becoming increasingly transparent with the adoption of the governance mechanisms of New Public Management and digital technologies. As transparency research has documented both positive and negative effects of transparency within organizations, it is not clear how transparency might affect faculty members and their job attitudes. To address this question, we develop and test hypotheses regarding the effect of perceived transparency on professors’ job satisfaction and intent to leave their university. Our results, based on the answers of over 1600 professors, support our hypothesized positive relationship between transparency and job satisfaction, a negative relationship between transparency and intent to leave, and an indirect effect of transparency on intent to leave via job satisfaction. Exploratory moderation analyses indicated that the effects of transparency are present across two different types of universities (research universities and universities of applied sciences). We discuss results regarding their implications for the management of higher education and research institutions as well as for the retention of faculty members.

Suggested Citation

  • Yvette E. Hofmann & Maria Strobel, 2020. "Transparency goes a long way: information transparency and its effect on job satisfaction and turnover intentions of the professoriate," Journal of Business Economics, Springer, vol. 90(5), pages 713-732, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:jbecon:v:90:y:2020:i:5:d:10.1007_s11573-020-00984-0
    DOI: 10.1007/s11573-020-00984-0
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Victor William Bwachele & Yee-Lee Chong & Gengeswari Krishnapillai, 2023. "Perceived service quality and student satisfaction in higher learning institutions in Tanzania," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 10(1), pages 1-12, December.
    2. Mo Chen & Kristina Bogner & Joana Becheva & Jens Grossklags, 2023. "On the transparency of the credit reporting system in China," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 10(1), pages 1-10, December.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Transparency; New public management; Higher education; Job satisfaction; Turnover intention;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I23 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Higher Education; Research Institutions
    • J63 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Mobility, Unemployment, Vacancies, and Immigrant Workers - - - Turnover; Vacancies; Layoffs
    • M12 - Business Administration and Business Economics; Marketing; Accounting; Personnel Economics - - Business Administration - - - Personnel Management; Executives; Executive Compensation

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