Work environment perceptions of full-time dental educators: does gender matter?

This study investigates whether female and male full-time dental faculty members in U.S. dental schools differ in their workplace experiences and perceptions. A questionnaire was mailed to the 2,203 U.S. members of the American Dental Education Association (ADEA) in May 2001, and 870 faculty members responded (response rate: 40 percent). The data of the 738 full-time employed faculty members (female: 257, 34.8 percent; male: 481, 65.1 percent) were analyzed. The results showed that male and female faculty did not differ significantly in the average hours per week worked (men: 46.1 vs. women: 47.1), in the amount of time spent on research (11.67 percent vs. 12.76 percent), and in available grant support (20.1 percent vs. 19.7 percent). Men were more likely than women to have office space (99.2 percent vs. 96.5 percent; p = .0 12), secretarial support (87 percent vs. 75.8 percent; p = .000), protected time for research (37.8 percent vs. 31.6 percent; p = .056), and lab space (23.2 percent vs. 10.6 percent; p = .000). Compared to men, women spent more time on teaching (men: 16.84 percent vs. women: 19 percent; p = .078), and perceived the work environment as less supportive (30 percent vs. 9.3 percent; p = .000). While 73.8 percent of men felt welcome as members of the dental school community, only 50.2 percent of the women felt welcome (p = .000). Male and female respondents differed significantly in the degree of experienced and perceived harassment. We thus concluded that female and male faculty members differ in their experiences and perceptions of the academic climate at U.S. dental schools. These results may be useful when school leaders explore effective recruitment and retention strategies for dental faculty members.