Faculty That Look Like Me: An Examination of HBCU Accounting Faculty Motivation and Job Satisfaction

Abstract

Historically black colleges and universities (“HBCU”) provide an academic environment that contributes to increased student success and social mobility. However, this environment introduces unique working conditions for faculty members. The existing academic literature does not provide evidence about the motivation and job satisfaction of HBCU accounting faculty.  This study addresses that gap and provides survey evidence on this unique group's motivation and job satisfaction.  We find that respondents are motivated by helping others but are not satisfied with institutional operations, research resources, and compensation.  We also find that tenured faculty have lower job satisfaction than non-tenured faculty.  Demographically, we find that the respondents were older, tenured, and have significant practitioner experience.  Taken together, these findings identify opportunities for improvement in job satisfaction for HBCU accounting faculty.