Gender and Uncertainty in Academia

Dongeun Shin , Indiana University, Bloomington
Pei-Ying Chen, Indiana University, Bloomington

Universities place an emphasis on research outcomes. However, faculty often do not know if they are good enough in their research to satisfy evaluation for tenure and promotion. In this research, we examined what factors relate with faculty’s clear senses of getting tenure and promoted by gender. We assessed if formalization in terms of tenure and promotion, satisfaction with time spent on teaching, research, and service, and interactions with faculty have impacts on women’s and men’s senses of clarity in achieving tenure and promotion. Our analysis showed that women were less likely than men to have clear perceptions about getting tenure/promotion. We found gender differences in terms of interactions with other faculty and satisfaction with time spent on service. Men had higher levels of clarity about getting tenure when they interacted with tenured faculty while women did with untenured faculty. In addition, satisfaction with time spent on service was positive only for men.

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 Presented in Session 9. Marriage, Family, Households, & Unions; Gender, Race, & Ethnicity