Academics’ job satisfaction in Tanzania’s higher education: The role of perceived work environment

Abstract

Employees’ job satisfaction is critical for better work performance, reduced turnover intention, enhanced organizational commitment, and decreased job burnout. In the last several decades, numerous studies have assessed the association between employees’ work environments and job satisfaction globally. However, little research has addressed academics’ job satisfaction in non-European countries, and studies of Tanzania are particularly scarce. Drawing on Lewin’s field theory, this study sought to fill this gap by examining the relationship between Tanzanian academics’ perceived work environment and their job satisfaction, as measured by the Minnesota Satisfaction Questionnaire (MSQ). The study was quantitatively driven, with a cross-sectional survey design. A convenience sample of 116 academics (men: N ​= ​93; women: N ​= ​23) from two universities in Tanzania responded to a newly self-designed Perceived Work Environment Inventory and the MSQ. Hierarchical multiple regression analysis was performed using SPSS version 25 to detect significant predictors of academics’ job satisfaction. The results demonstrated that academic freedom, participative decisions, teamwork, supervision, and resources statistically significantly predicted academics’ job satisfaction over and above their marital status, gender, age, academic rank, and institutional type. This study has both practical and policy implications, and its findings contribute to the broader literature on the management and governance of higher education.