Effects of met expectations, trust, job satisfaction, and commitment on faculty turnover intentions in the United Arab Emirates (UAE)

Using data from 249 faculty members working at 26 different universities in the UAE, this paper examines the effects of met expectations, trust, job satisfaction, organizational commitment, and availability of job opportunities on faculty intent to stay with their current employers. Results reveal that a substantial percentage of faculty members perceive that their employers are not meeting their expectations regarding voice in general decision-making process (58%), research support (53%), participation in major academic decisions (53%), and salary (47%). Results from path analysis show that met expectations have direct positive effects on employees' trust, organizational commitment, and job satisfaction. The results also demonstrate that each of trust, commitment, and job satisfaction simultaneously mediates the effects of met expectations on faculty intent to stay. Practically, these findings suggest that by meeting faculty expectations, universities can enhance faculty perceptions of job satisfaction, organizational commitment, and trust, which in turn reduce faculty turnover intentions. Further practical and theoretical implications are discussed and suggestions for future research are offered.