Looking at Human Element in Education: Organizational Commitment and Job Satisfaction of Teachers at Adama Science and Technology University

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate the perceived level of organizational commitment (OC) and job satisfaction (JS) of teachers of Adama Science and Technology University (ASTU). A six- step likert scale survey questionnaire was used to collect data from 192 regular academic staffs of the seven schools of ASTU. The result indicated that the teachers have moderate level of JS and OC. They are better satisfied with co-workers and supervisors, but less satisfied with pay, promotion, and fringe benefits. Teachers from Business and Economics, Engineering, and Health Science schools are least satisfied and committed whereas those from School of Agriculture and School of Natural Science are better satisfied and committed. Pearson correlation matrix indicated that as their age increase, teachers’ continuance commitment and satisfaction with pay and fringe benefits increase whereas their normative commitment and satisfaction with supervisors and co-workers decrease. Length of teaching experience is negatively correlated with normative commitment and satisfaction with supervisors and co-workers, but positively with affective commitment. Lack of incentives/promotion, poor salary, lack of teaching resources and office facilities, lack of proper care for academic staff, poor social services facilities and instability of top management are among the major factors believed to have hampered the teachers’ JS and OC. Improving promotion and incentive schemes, initiating projects which could financially and professionally benefit the academic staff, investing on educational inputs, improving social service facilities, involving staffs in the election of top management are among the major actions recommended to boost the teachers’ OC and JS and subsequently improve the quality of education offered at ASTU.