Do Academic Supervisors Know What Employees Want From Work

Academic faculty and staff were surveyed to determine if supervisors knew what their employees wanted from work.  Responses from 50 academic supervisors, faculty and staff from traditional and distance learning institutions were evaluated to determine if their answers were similar on ranking 10 job aspects of work. Employees were asked to rank 10 job aspects and supervisors were asked to rank the same job aspects from their employees’ point of view.  This study replicates research done by Lindahl in 1949 to determine if employer’s perceptions of what their employees want from work have improved. 2019-2020 survey results indicated non-significant differences between how employees ranked 10 aspects of work and supervisors believed employees would rank them. The 2019-20 survey absolute value difference between job aspect ranks decreased threefold since the 1949 survey. Employees indicated higher importance to feeling in on things, sympathetic understanding of personal problems, and promotion and growth within the organization. Employee responses of appreciation, respect, good management, and good working conditions were cited as main reasons to stay with an organization. Replication in different settings such as universities, community colleges and organizations outside of education would inform organizational leadership efforts to ensure supervisors understand what motivates their employees.