The effect of mentoring and self-esteem on job satisfaction: a comparative study between U.S.-born and foreign-born faculty

ABSTRACT The purpose of this study was to compare U.S.-born and foreign-born faculty members’ job satisfaction in research universities and investigate if mentoring and self-esteem affect job satisfaction of faculty members in U.S. institutions. From the data set obtained from 481 faculty members in 21 universities, this study identified there was no significant difference in job satisfaction between U.S.-born and foreign-born faculty members based on marital status, faculty ranking, and tenure status. However, the study results indicated that mentoring and self-esteem as a set was a significant predictor for faculty job satisfaction for both faculty groups. Based on this finding, implications for faculty development through mentoring programs are discussed.