The unity of research and teaching under threat: Does it matter for academics’ job satisfaction?

The growing importance of third-party funding, excellence policies, and organisational differentiation are eroding the Humboldtian idea of a unity of research and teaching. Though studies show a perceived preference for research over teaching amongst academics, there remains a dearth of research into the association between the research-teaching nexus and job satisfaction. We know little about whether, and if so how, national higher education contexts moderate job satisfaction. This study examines what effect, if any, the perceived preference for research, the compatibility of research and teaching, and workload have on job satisfaction and whether effects are moderated by country – selecting Canada, Germany, and Austria for comparison. Findings indicate that while high teaching and administrative workloads decrease job satisfaction, those who subjectively prefer teaching over research are more satisfied than their research-oriented colleagues. The results also show that national higher education systems are a significant moderating factor for job satisfaction, highlighting the importance of country-comparative research.