Academic staff is a key resource in higher education institutions (HEIs) and therefore has a major role in the achievement of the objectives of these institutions. Satisfied and well-motivated academic staff can build a national and international reputation for themselves and their institutions. Moreover, the performance of academic staff impacts student learning. In this context, the study of academic staff job satisfaction and motivation to perform their professional activities becomes crucial, especially as higher education is traversed by multiple changes. The purpose of this paper is to present and analyze the findings of a nationwide study on satisfaction and motivation of academics. All academics working in Portuguese HEIs were invited to complete a survey online. The data obtained from 4529 academics were extensively analyzed and findings are presented here along with their implications for HEIs in Portugal.

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Allocating and managing resources have always been important cornerstones of institutional leadership. Institutional resources include financial, physical and human components. Even in the best of times, it is a challenge to do this effectively. In times of diminished and shrinking resources, distributing these precious commodities across the institutions in the most equitable and productive manner is fraught with complications. As higher education funding streams expand and present more options, they also create new challenges. Leaders today must be well‐versed in the emerging realms of philanthropy and entrepreneurialism. Beyond monetary resources, leaders and senior managers must monitor and understand the external environment in order to make discerning decisions about the viability of further infrastructure investments because of changing student demographics or the complexities of personnel within the dynamic culture of social organisations. This article will stress the need for leadership and an institutional planning process as essential prerequisites to effective resource allocations. Portugal will also be discussed as a case study.

Academic work in higher education has been influenced by global trends such as accountability, massification and deteriorating financial support. Within this broader context, the performance of academic staff as teachers and researchers has an impact on student learning and implications for the quality of higher education institutions (HEIs). Therefore, satisfaction of academic staff is critical to the effective functioning of HEIs. This article reports on a study of academic career satisfaction in Portugal and gender differences with respect to academic job satisfaction. It found that male respondents in HEIs were in higher positions than women, but less so in private institutions. It also analysed some aspects of the professional context in which women and men work in order to explain similarities and/or differences in job satisfaction. The main difference was that women were less satisfied with personal and professional development, especially the balance between work and family.

Economic, regulatory and social pressures are challenging higher education institutions (HEIs) in the 21st century. Strategic planning is a frequently used method for implementing appropriate institutional responses to changing internal and external conditions. The degree to which strategic planning is being utilized is an important predictor of institutional vitality and prosperity. This article draws on a national study recently conducted on strategic planning throughout Portuguese HEIs. Participants came from public and private universities, polytechnic institutes and other establishments. Data included interviews, an extensive survey and documentary evidence. Research indicates many institutions are engaged in a process of planning to various degrees, and many of those that are not, wish to integrate it into their policy development arsenal. However, claims of strategic planning implementation are tempered by data from the study, which analyzed how far key factors in strategic planning had been addressed by the institutions examined. Accordingly, the number of institutions that can legitimately be classified as strategic planners is incongruent with the self-reported findings of the data. A critical discussion from both institutional and system perspectives are brought to bear on the findings.