Job satisfaction: a positive attribute of work-family integration for female social work faculty

Academic literature exploring the experiences and needs among women in the social work professorate has yet to explore the ways in which work-life and family-life are compatible, including work-life enrichment and job satisfaction. To remedy this empirical gap, the current descriptive exploratory study of 504 female tenure-track social work academics investigates components essential to job satisfaction, which are also important to work-life enrichment. A particular emphasis is placed on differences and similarities between women who have dependent children (e.g., under 18 and in the home), women who have adult children, and women who have no children. Data were collected using an on-line survey of social work faculty working at CSWE accredited programs. Variables explored include professional connectedness, workplace empowerment, career satisfaction, and stress. The most salient finding is that having dependent children is not a detriment to factors essential for successful work-life enrichment and job satisfaction, even though overall stress is higher. The three groups have more similarities than differences. Implications for policy, practice, and future research are addressed.