Impostor Phenomenon and Grit as Predictors of Job Satisfaction in Female Pharmacy Faculty

Impostor phenomenon (IP), grit, and other factors impact job satisfaction for faculty, particularly female faculty.

The Impostor Phenomenon Research Collaborative (IPRC) evaluated IP, grit, and job satisfaction in pharmacy faculty. A cross-sectional study was conducted with a convenience sample of faculty using a survey, which included demographic questions and validated instruments: Clance Impostor Phenomenon (CIPS), Short GRIT Scale, and Overall Job Satisfaction Questionnaire. Differences between groups, relationships, and prediction were evaluated using independent t-tests, ANOVA, Pearson correlation, and regression analyses.

A total of 436 participants completed the survey; 380 self-identified as pharmacy faculty. Two hundred and one (54%) reported intense or frequent feelings of IP. The mean CIPS score was above 60, indicating a risk of negative outcomes related to IP. There were no differences in the prevalence of IP or job satisfaction levels when female and male faculty were compared. Female faculty had higher GRIT-S scores. Faculty reporting more IP had lower grit and lower job satisfaction. Job satisfaction in faculty was predicted by IP and grit; however, grit did not provide a unique prediction when combined with IP for male faculty.

IP was not more prevalent in female faculty. Female faculty were grittier than male faculty. Higher grit was associated with less IP and higher job satisfaction. IP and grit predicted job satisfaction for female and male pharmacy faculty. Our findings suggest that improving grit may help mitigate IP and impact job satisfaction. Further research on evidence-based IP interventions is needed.