Job Empowerment and Its Relationship to Job Satisfaction Among Faculty Members in Higher Education - Saudi Arabia

Abstract

This study empirically investigates the correlation between job empowerment (JE) and job satisfaction (JS) among faculty members at Imam Abdulrahman bin Faisal (IAU) in Saudi Arabia. It also explores whether faculty members’ gender and years of experience and their own supervisors’ gender are associated with JE and JS levels. In this study, a descriptive approach was implemented, and a random sample of 345 faculty members at IAU rated their attitudes toward JE and JS using a questionnaire developed by the researchers. The findings indicate that the levels of JE and JS came to a “high” level with means of 3.72 and 3.66 respectively; and that JE is significantly correlated to JS (r=0.81, p<0.001). Further findings revealed statistically significant differences in the responses on JE and JS attributed to gender in favor of the female faculty (p<0.05); as well as a statistically significant differences in the responses attributed to supervisors’ gender (p<0.05). These findings indicate that the female leaders may be more effective than their male counterparts in empowering and affecting the JE and JS levels of their subordinates. The study recommends that upper-leadership need be role modeling practices that support the empowerment of faculty members, such as granting independence and authority in solving problems, and allowing active participation in upper-level committees and workgroups that set the strategies, policies and procedures that governs IAU. This study also recommends further empowerment of academic women into leadership positions to participate in directing the JE and JS practices towards faculty effectiveness in IAU.