Abstract
As many countries expand their higher education systems, they must attract, support, and retain qualified academic staff. This paper focuses on the United Arab Emirates (UAE) as a case study of a nation drawing on large numbers of mostly expatriate faculty working in short-term academic appointments. The paper begins by considering the national context within which expatriate faculty work in the UAE. Then, using a published conceptual framework highlighting key elements of academic work, the paper examines defining aspects of the work experience of expatriate faculty in the UAE, including work expectations (teaching, research, and service); equity (compensation, incentives, and benefits); autonomy, academic freedom, and flexibility; collegiality and institutional involvement; and professional growth. The discussion considers the implications of these elements of academic work for the satisfaction, motivation, and institutional commitment of the expatriate faculty members. The sample of 29 expatriate faculty studied is drawn from the population of full-time instructors at three public and three semi-public institutions in the UAE who teach in education or media, humanities and social sciences, science or engineering, and business or economics. The discussion of findings highlights satisfactions and concerns, as well as the relationship of work experiences with organizational commitment. The nature of academic work in many countries is shifting toward temporary and short-term contract-based appointments. Thus, analysis of the experiences of expatriate academic staff working within the UAE, where the majority of faculty members are in short-term positions, raises issues relevant to those in other countries where the non-permanent academic workforce is increasing. Additionally, issues considered are of interest to those who study the academic career and the factors shaping it.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Alderfer, C. P. (1972). Existence, relatedness and growth: Human needs in organizational settings. New York: Free Press.
Asian Development Bank (ADB). (2011). Higher education across Asia: An overview of issues and strategies. Manila: ADB.
Barnes, L. L. B., Agago, M. O., & Coombs, W. (1998). Effects of job-related stress on faculty intention to leave academia. Research in Higher Education, 39(4), 457–469.
Black, M. M., & Holden, E. W. (1998). The impact of gender on productivity and satisfaction among medical school psychologists. Journal of Clinical Psychology in Medical Settings, 5(1), 117–131.
Campbell, A., & Koblenz, M. (1997). The work and life pyramid of needs. Deerfield, IL: Baxter Healthcare Corporation and MK Consultants.
Chapman, D., Austin, A., Farah, S., Wilson, E., & Ridge, N. (2014). Academic staff in the UAE: Unsettled journey. Higher Education Policy, 27, 131–151.
Clark, B. R. (1987a). The academic life: Small worlds, different worlds. Princeton, NJ: The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching.
Clark, B. R. (1987b). The academic profession: National, disciplinary, and institutional settings. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press.
Donohue, J. D. (1986). Faculty perceptions of organizational climate and expressed job satisfaction in selected baccalaureate schools of nursing. Journal of Professional Nursing, 2(6), 373–379.
Forstenlechner, I. (2008). Workforce nationalization in the UA: Image versus integration. Education, Business, and Society: Contemporary Middle Eastern Issues, 1(2), 82–91.
Gappa, J. M., Austin, A. E., & Trice, A. G. (2007). Rethinking faculty work: Higher education’s strategic imperative. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Godwin, S. M. (2006). Globalization, education and emiratization: A case study of the United Arab Emirates. The Electronic Journal of Information Systems in developing Countries, 27, 1–13.
Hackman, J. R., & Oldham, G. R. (1976). Motivation through the design of work: Test of a theory. Organizational Behavior and Human Performance, 16, 250–279.
Hagedorn, L. S. (1996). Wage equity and female faculty job satisfaction: The role of wage differentials in a job satisfaction causal model. Research in Higher Education, 37(5), 569–598.
Herzberg, F. (1966). Work and the nature of man. Cleveland, OH: World.
Heynemann, S. P. (2006). The effectiveness of development assistance in education: An organizational analysis. Journal of International Cooperation in development, 9(1), 7–26.
Johnsrud, L. K., & Rosser, V. J. (2002). Faculty members’ morale and their intentions to leave: A multilevel explanation. The Journal of Higher Education, 73(4), 34–59.
Kirk, D., & Napier, D. (2009). The transformation of higher education in the United Arab Emirates: Issues, implications, and intercultural dimensions. In J. Zajda et al. (Eds.), Nation-building, identity and citizenship education: Cross-cultural perspectives. Globalisation, Comparative Education and Policy Research 3. Dordrecht: Springer.
Lane, J. E. (2010). Joint ventures in cross-border higher education: International branch campuses in Malaysia. In R. Sakamoto & D. W. Chapman (Eds.), Cross-border partnerships in higher education: Strategies and issues. New York: Routledge.
Lane, J. E., & Kinser, K. (2011). Reconsidering privatization in cross-border engagements: The sometimes public nature of private activity. Higher Education Policy, 24, 255–273.
LaRocque, N. (2007). The role of education in supporting the development of science, technology, and innovation in developing member countries: An issues paper for the Asian Development Bank. Manila: Asian Development Bank.
Lincoln, Y. S., & Guba, E. G. (1985). Naturalistic inquiry. Newbury Park, CA: Sage.
Lincoln, Y. S., & Guba, E. G. (1986). But is it rigorous? Trustworthiness and authenticity in naturalistic evaluation. In D. D. Williams (Ed.), Naturalistic evaluation. New Directions for Program Evaluation (Vol. 30, pp. 73–84). San Franciso: Jossey-Bass.
Maslow, A. H. (1970). Motivation and personality (2nd ed.). New York: HarperCollins.
Melly, P. (2010). Educating for employment. Middle East Economic Digest, 54(8), 39–41.
McClelland, D. C. (1975). Power: The inner experience. New York: Irvington Press.
Olsen, D., Maple, D., & Stage, F. K. (1995). Women and minority faculty job satisfaction: Professional role interests, professional satisfactions, and institutional fit. Journal of Higher Education, 66(3), 267–293.
Rice, R. E. (1986). The academic profession in transition: Toward a new social fiction. Teaching Sociology, 41, 12–23.
Rosser, V. J. (2004). Faculty members’ intentions to leave: A national study on their worklife and satisfaction. Research in Higher Education, 45(3), 285–309.
Sorcinelli, M. D., Austin, A. E., Eddy, P., & Beach, A. (2006). Creating the future of faculty development: Learning from the past, understanding the present. Bolton, MA: Anker Press.
UAE. (2010). Vision 2010. Abu Dhabi.
World Bank. (2000). Higher education in developing countries: Peril and promise. Task Force on Higher Education and Society. Washington, DC: World Bank.
Zajda, J. (2005). The international handbook of globalization and education policy research. Dordrecht: Springer.
Acknowledgments
While the authors take responsibility for the content of the article, we acknowledge with gratitude the support provided by the Sheikh Saud Bin Saqr Al Qasimi Foundation for Policy Research and the Dubai School of Government.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Additional information
Throughout the article, the terms “faculty,” “academic staff,” “instructors,” and “instructional staff” are used interchangeably.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Austin, A.E., Chapman, D.W., Farah, S. et al. Expatriate academic staff in the United Arab Emirates: the nature of their work experiences in higher education institutions. High Educ 68, 541–557 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10734-014-9727-z
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10734-014-9727-z