Abstract
Reforms to Malaysian higher education have had radical implications for all aspects of the professional lives of university academics. This chapter outlines the changes brought about by the National Higher Education Plan that have affected and influenced university work environment including careers and job satisfaction of Malaysian academics. It then examines a set of available data from the 2007 CAP study to investigate whether the academic profession is still considered attractive by looking at the satisfaction level of academics in Malaysian universities. This chapter explores aspects of academic job satisfaction using three drive determinants (perception of physical facilities, perception of influence and perception of managerial support) and compares them by gender and teaching or research orientation. Overall, the data reveal that Malaysian academics show a considerable level of job satisfaction and that they have a high regard for their profession. Several implications particularly in relation to the institutional policies and practices are provided in order to foster a conducive working environment and culture that take into account the demands of the Malaysian academic profession in terms of job satisfaction along with its intrinsic and extrinsic factors.
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Azman, N., Sirat, M.B., Samsudin, M.A. (2013). An Academic Life in Malaysia: A Wonderful Life or Satisfaction Not Guaranteed?. In: Bentley, P., Coates, H., Dobson, I., Goedegebuure, L., Meek, V. (eds) Job Satisfaction around the Academic World. The Changing Academy – The Changing Academic Profession in International Comparative Perspective, vol 7. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-5434-8_9
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