The Job No One Wants? A National Study of Department Leader Job Satisfaction

The role of the department chair is considered one of the most thankless jobs in higher education, but there is surprisingly little research on the daily work-lives of faculty members serving in departmental leadership roles. This study updates the literature by using a national sample of 3,317 associate and full professors serving in department leadership roles at 161 U.S. colleges and universities over a period spanning six academic years. Providing an updated application of Hagedorn’s (2000) theory of faculty satisfaction and existing literature on department chairs, we use exploratory factor analysis to identify factors that act as triggers, or spaces for job-related tension and conflict. We then use multiple linear regression to study how these factors predict department leaders’ overall job satisfaction, after controlling for relevant background characteristics like gender, faculty rank, prior job mobility, salary, and institutional environment. Regression results reveal the factors significantly influence department leaders’ overall job satisfaction, but there are meaningful differences based on faculty rank, with associate professors being less satisfied in their jobs compared to full professors. We provide implications for future studies of department leaders.