The impact of changing culture in higher education on the person-organization fit, job satisfaction and organizational commitment of college faculty

This research explored the impact of cultural change on the work lives of college faculty. Greater competition and an increased call for accountability have affected the roles faculty perform in the colleges and universities that employ them, which in turn has an impact on job satisfaction and commitment. If changes in higher education culture negatively affect the work-lives of faculty, their willingness to help their students succeed and advance in their fields might be compromised.; This mixed-model research was conducted with a population of 70 full-time faculty members at a small private college in northern New Jersey. The researcher combined Q-sort methodology, correlation analysis, and analysis of verbal content to determine the impact of person-organization (P-O) fit on faculty's satisfaction and commitment. The test college (referred to as Catholic College, a pseudonym, in this paper) had recently undergone a major administrative change ushered in by a new, aggressive strategic plan. This plan pushed the college toward a decidedly business-like management style: It included the institution of profit centers (within a nonprofit college), the implementation of a comprehensive institutional assessment program, and the development of divisional budgets tied directly to assessed performance. The findings indicated that the new strategic plan for the college negatively influenced the commitment faculty members felt toward the institution itself, but did not affect the satisfaction they derived from their research and their students.; Most of the literature written about higher education management implies that faculty dislike the competitiveness and lack of collegiality that comes with the adoption of business-like management methods to college and university administration. The conclusion of this study showed that the movement of this college toward a business model did cause faculty to express discontent and disenfranchisement toward the college administration, but did not affect their attitudes toward the content of their jobs. At this college, an abrupt change in the way the college operated angered faculty, but they did not manifest this anger in any way that affected their primary responsibilities toward their students and academic professions.; This study implies that the literature warning of the catastrophic consequences brought about by the adoption of business methods in higher education management is overstated. Changes at this college did cause a drop in the commitment faculty felt toward the institution, but did not negatively affect the most important functions of the faculty (and the college)---teaching and scholarship. The new business model adopted by Catholic College enabled it to regain financial health without damaging faculty productivity.