The development of an employee satisfaction model for higher education

Purpose – Most studies on higher education focus on students as customers, and evaluate student levels of satisfaction/dissatisfaction with their programs, while generally neglecting teacher work satisfaction. Thus, this study evaluates how employee dissatisfaction with various investment items determines the improvement priority. Design/methodology/approach – This study used the academic literature to establish a satisfaction model for higher education employees. The model is divided into six dimensions: organisation vision, respect, result feedback and motivation, management system, pay and benefits, and work environment. Using a questionnaire based on the model, 248 teachers were surveyed to investigate and analyze their importance‐satisfaction level. The importance‐satisfaction model (I‐S model) was then applied to place each quality attribute into the I‐S model, and thus determine the improvement strategy. Findings – The analytical results showed that higher education employees focus on high salaries and fair promotion systems. Investigations of the job satisfaction of college teachers in Europe and America have produced similar results. Originality/value – The employee satisfaction model for the higher education sector not only considers satisfaction levels but also degrees of importance in deciding the improvement strategy.