Occupational stress and job satisfaction among professors of Russian higher educational institutions

Abstract

Data of Changing Academic Profession international survey conducted uniformly in 20 countries including Russia was used to analyze factors affecting the level of occupational stress and job satisfaction among Russian professors. Based on the values of both parameters, all participating countries were divided into four groups. Russia belongs to the group with low levels of occupational stress and job satisfaction, these parameters being lower than in any other country participating in the project. We assess the correlation between these parameters and the three sets of factors: requirements to professors, resources provided by higher educational institutions for professional activities, and individual professional qualities of professors, i. e. their sociodemographic characteristics. In Russia, just like in other countries with low levels of occupational stress and job satisfaction, the parameters in question have proved to correlate with satisfaction with resources provided by higher educational institutions. However, unlike in other countries, Russian professors attach special importance to nonmaterial resources: personal role in specific structural subdivisions, involvement in communication, team spirit in decision-making. In Russia, stress and job satisfaction are not correlated with position, salary, or years of experience, while German and Argentinean professors, for instance, are more satisfied with their jobs if they take higher positions.