Gender and Race Differences in Job Satisfaction and Commitment among STEM Faculty: The Influence of Network Integration and Work-Family Balance

faculty working at a research intensive Midwestern University, this study explores whether gender and race variation in network (connections to other faculty within one's primary department) and work-life (family-friendly work climate and satisfaction with work-life balance) integration can explain gender and race variation in job satisfaction and organizational commitment. Results indicate that job satisfaction did not significantly vary by gender or race. Women, however, were less likely to say they intend to remain at their current institution. Compared to men, women had lower levels of integration in the departmental friendship network, worked at the University for a shorter period of time, and were more likely to be unmarried. Size of friendship networks and years at the institution were positively correlated with organizational commitment while being unmarried was negatively correlated with organizational commitment. Thus, these three factors explained the gender differences in organizational commitment. Network integration in research networks and work-life integration did not predict organizational commitment and did not vary by gender. The significant differences in organizational commitment between white and nonwhite faculty remain unexplained as network and work-life integration did not vary by race.