A Mixed Method Study of Faculty Job Autonomy and Job Satisfaction at Kazakhstani Public Universities

Abstract

Job autonomy is widely recognized as a key factor shaping faculty working conditions in higher education. This thesis addresses the context of Kazakhstan by examining how institutional autonomy reforms are reflected in faculty members’ everyday experiences. It focuses on levels of job autonomy and job satisfaction in public universities, their relationship, differences across demographic and professional groups, how faculty resist intrusions to their autonomy, and what strategies they use to protect their autonomy and negotiate with administrators. The study employs a convergent mixed-methods design, combining survey data from 113 faculty members across four public universities with semi-structured interviews from seven participants. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, correlation, regression, ANOVA, and t-tests, while thematic analysis was applied to interview data to capture faculty experiences in greater depth. The findings reveal a positive and statistically significant relationship between job autonomy and job satisfaction. Overall, faculty report moderate levels of both autonomy and satisfaction. Differences are observed by age, academic experience, and research productivity, with more senior and research-active faculty perceiving higher autonomy. In contrast, gender, teaching workload, and working hours show no significant effect. Disciplinary differences emerge only for satisfaction, with higher levels reported in Medicine/Health Sciences compared to the Humanities. Qualitative findings showed that faculty resistance to autonomy intrusions manifests individually through time management, informal practices, and demonstrating competence, and collectively through informal peer support and formal collective advocacy. While faculty strategies to protect autonomy and negotiate with administrators include individual empowerment strategies such as skill diversification and building external networks, as well as negotiation strategies such as aligning with institutional goals, seeking protection from mid-level leaders, and compromising on procedures. The thesis recommends targeted institutional support for early-career faculty, strengthen trust, and improve mid-level leadership to better align institutional autonomy with faculty job autonomy and satisfaction.