INSTITUTIONAL DRIVERS OF ACADEMIC STAFF JOB SATISFACTION: A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF SELECTED PUBLIC AND PRIVATE UNIVERSITIES IN KENYA

Abstract

Academic staff members constitute the intellectual and operational pillar of any university. Their job satisfaction is a critical determinant of instructional quality, research output, and institutional stability. While academic staff are entrusted with fulfilling the university's core mandate of teaching, research, and community engagement, their levels of satisfaction and productivity are often undermined by institutional challenges. This study sought to investigate the institutional drivers influencing academic staff job satisfaction in a selected public and private university in Kenya. Specifically, the study addressed four objectives: (i) to examine the role of the working environment in influencing academic staff job satisfaction; (ii) to evaluate the influence of compensation and benefits on academic staff job satisfaction; (iii) to analyze the effect of professional development opportunities on academic staff job satisfaction; and (iv) to investigate the impact of institutional policies on academic staff job satisfaction. Guided by a blend of Self Determination Theory that offers foundational psychological understanding of human motivation and Herzberg’s Two-Factor Theory, which distinguishes between hygiene factors and motivators, the study applied a concurrent mixed-methods research design (QUANT + qual) to generate an understanding of academic staff experiences across institutional contexts. The target population included academic staff, members of directorates of quality assurance, and university management boards from both universities. Using Yamane’s 1967 formula, a sample of 200 respondents was drawn through simple random sampling, while key informants were selected purposively for in depth interviews. The study instruments were questionnaires and interview schedules which were subjected to rigorous content validity assessment by academic experts, and a pilot study was conducted in one public and one private university in Kisumu County. Test-retest reliability confirmed the consistency of the quantitative tools, while inter-rater reliability enhanced the credibility of qualitative data coding. Quantitative data were analyzed using SPSS, while qualitative data were thematically analyzed using QDA Miner software. Findings revealed that while both institutional types face common challenges, notable differences exist. Academic staff in public universities reported dissatisfaction with delayed promotions, rigid and bureaucratic procedures, and limited involvement in decision-making, whereas their counterparts in private universities cited heavy workloads, rigid contract terms, and inadequate professional growth structures. A conducive working environment defined by collegiality, academic freedom, safety, and resource availability emerged as a strong predictor of job satisfaction. Similarly, fair and timely compensation, accessible and relevant professional development, and inclusive and transparent institutional policies were found to significantly enhance motivation and satisfaction. The study concludes that academic staff job satisfaction is deeply embedded in the structural and policy dynamics of university governance. Institutions that prioritize staff welfare, provide clear and fair policies, and offer ongoing professional support create environments conducive to academic excellence. This study contributes significantly to Comparative and International Education by offering context-specific knowledge into the contrasting realities of academic life in public versus private universities in Kenya whose findings should generalised in other contexts. The findings have practical implications for university councils, UASU, policy makers, and the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology (MOEST), as well as for global actors interested in equitable higher education reform. Ultimately, the study calls for strategic policy reforms that promotes institutional responsiveness, promote fairness in policy implementation, expand academic staff participation in governance, and align academic staff compensation structures with staff expectations and workloads. These reforms are essential not only for improving job satisfaction but also for sustaining the transformative mandate of universities.