Perceptions of fairness, inclusion and safety: the differential impact of contrasting experiences on academics and professional services staff

Abstract

The current study explores how organizational dimensions relate to and impact organizational commitment, comparing staff in academic positions with staff in professional services roles. Data was collected from 281 academic and 294 professional services staff within university environments who completed extensive questionnaires. Overall academics manifested lower levels of emotional attachment to, and perceived obligation to remain in their university, felt less safe to take interpersonal risks, to speak up and lower support for their work-life balance than their professional services colleagues. The perception of procedural fairness and discrimination impacted academics loyalty and felt obligation to remain and reciprocate organizational investments to a higher extent. Psychological safety positively influenced staff’s commitment. Emotional and obligation-based types of commitment were more strongly affected by psychological safety among academics than professional services staff. Finally, work-life balance support positively influenced staff’s commitment, appearing to be an equally important dimension to drive emotional and obligation-based types of commitment from both academics and professional services staff. This study brings important contributions to research on the working environment of academics and professional services staff and indicates that development of clear policies to promote and maintain fairness, psychological safety and work-life balance, together with active monitoring and evaluation of their impact, should be a key focus for higher education institutions.