Structural equation models of management and decision‐making styles with job satisfaction of academic staff in Malaysian research university

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to discuss the effect of management and decision‐making styles on the job satisfaction of academic staff in a Malaysian Research University.

Design/methodology/approach

The sample consisted of 218 respondents. The instruments used in the study were the Teacher Job Satisfaction Questionnaire and the Decision Style Inventory. Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) was used to determine the influence of decision‐making style and management style on the job satisfaction.

Findings

The findings showed that the research university had adopted an analytical decision‐making style. The hygiene factors were the predictors of job satisfaction as perceived by the academic staff at the research university in Malaysia.

Research limitations/implications

This research selected a top Malaysian research university and small samples were selected from the whole population under consideration, thus, the findings can be generalized as similar to other research universities. In addition, the university management determines the decision‐making style, and the job satisfaction of the academic staff is affected by the decision‐making style of the university.

Originality/value

A contribution is made to the literature as the research reinforces the view that the management style and decision‐making style can predict or affect the job satisfaction of the academic staff.

Citation

Hussein Amzat, I. and Abdul Rahman Idris, D. (2012), "Structural equation models of management and decision‐making styles with job satisfaction of academic staff in Malaysian research university", International Journal of Educational Management, Vol. 26 No. 7, pp. 616-645. https://doi.org/10.1108/09513541211263700