Faculty Satisfaction and Professional Commitment in Higher Education: A Multi-Dimensional Framework and Assessment Model

This research examines the dynamic relationship between job satisfaction and professional commitment among university professors, synthesizing empirical evidence and theoretical frameworks to provide actionable insights for academic leaders. This proposed multi-dimensional model addresses significant gaps in existing literature by clarifying the bidirectional and reciprocal relationships between environmental determinants, faculty satisfaction, professional commitment, and institutional outcomes. Drawing on established research and validation data from 347 faculty members across diverse institutional types, the analysis reveals that faculty satisfaction—influenced by autonomy, collegial environment, work-life balance, resource adequacy, and value alignment—demonstrates a strong positive correlation with professional commitment (r = .63, p < .001), with important variations by career stage, appointment type, and discipline. This relationship is further moderated by institutional context, with stronger effects in research-intensive settings (β = .71) compared to teaching-focused institutions (β = .58). The article outlines evidence-based strategies for enhancing both satisfaction and commitment, including developing supportive department leadership, implementing transparent workload policies, creating meaningful governance participation opportunities, and establishing robust mentoring systems. Through contextual applications tailored to different institutional environments, this research argues that systematic attention to faculty satisfaction and commitment represents not merely a human resources concern but a strategic imperative for institutional effectiveness, resilience, and long-term sustainability in today's challenging higher education landscape.