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Is Job Satisfaction of Social Sciences Scholars Predicted by Emotions, Job Performance, Work Events, and Workplace Features? A Demonstration of a Data-Driven Policy-Making Approach

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Abstract

This study, using affective events theory (AET) as a framework of reference, focuses on job satisfaction and job performance of academics with social sciences backgrounds working in Malaysian universities and colleges. More specifically, it aims at examining the influence of workplace features such as involvement, workload, and welfare on job satisfaction through role conflict, as a work event, and positive affect. In addition, the mediating role of job performance on the relationship between positive affect and job satisfaction was considered. Data were collected from 1000 academics via an online platform, and partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) method was adopted for data analysis. While all the four hypotheses were empirically supported, the results highlighted the considerable role of workload in increasing role conflict and the negative impact of role conflict on positive affect. We extended the results using finite mixture partial least squares (FIMIX-PLS) segmentation method, as a recommended PLS robustness check, and importance-performance map analysis (IPMA), to identify the major areas of improvement to be addressed by management activities on the grounds of the proposed model. Implications, limitations, and recommendations were discussed too.

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Notes

  1. The results of discriminant validity assessment based on Fornell-Larcker criterion (Fornell and Larcker, 1981) have been displayed in “Appendix 2”.

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to appreciate all the hardworking academia in Malaysian institutions of higher learning who completed the survey questionnaire of this study as well as the talented research officers at Malaysian National Higher Education Research Institute (IPPTN). The first author is grateful to Zeynab Khodaei and Ilia Ghasemy for their patience and understanding.

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The authors received no financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Malaysian National Higher Education Research Institute (IPPTN), Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM), Penang, Malaysia

    Majid Ghasemy

  2. School of Social Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM), Penang, Malaysia

    Seyed Reza Alvani

  3. Bait Al-Amanah National Policy Research Center, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

    Abel Benjamin Lim

  4. Management and Marketing Department, Universidad de Sevilla, Seville, Spain

    Ignacio Francisco Cepeda-Carrion & Gabriel Cepeda-Carrion

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  1. Majid Ghasemy
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Correspondence to Majid Ghasemy.

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Appendices

Appendix 1

See Table 10.

Table 10 Descriptive statistics of the items in the model
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Appendix 2

See Table 11.

Table 11 Discriminant validity based on Fornell–Larcker criterion
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Ghasemy, M., Alvani, S.R., Abel, B.L. et al. Is Job Satisfaction of Social Sciences Scholars Predicted by Emotions, Job Performance, Work Events, and Workplace Features? A Demonstration of a Data-Driven Policy-Making Approach. High Educ Policy 34, 902–927 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1057/s41307-019-00172-y

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