Contingent Faculty: What Impacts their Organizational Commitment?

Abstract

Since the 1980s, the percentage of non-tenured faculty has increased on college campuses. However, while contingent faculty are often hired to address short-term staffing issues, the long-term impacts are not assessed. Institutions need a better understanding of how institutional practices impact the job performance of contingent faculty. The purpose of this study is to examine what institutional practices predict organizational commitment among contingent faculty, compared to tenured/tenure-track faculty. While several studies conclude that contingent faculty are less committed than tenured/tenure-track faculty, there is little data to suggest how institutional practices may be impacting the organizational commitment of contingent faculty. Using analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Ordinary Least Squared (OLS) regression, this study seeks to understand how part-time contingent faculty and full-time contingent faculty each compare to tenured/tenure-track faculty in their level of organizational commitment at four-year institutions. Additionally, what institutional practices, particularly relating to recognition, support, compensation, and shared governance, predict organizational commitment among full- and part-time contingent faculty? While the findings are somewhat mixed, there is evidence to support the hypothesis of the study that institutional practices relating to recognition, support, and compensation build the organizational commitment of contingent faculty.