A study was conducted with online adjunct faculty from across the United States to identify the essential elements that lead to a sense of community among online adjunct faculty in order to improve job satisfaction and retention. Specific recommendations will be provided for leaders to best support remote employees.
A qualitative multiple case study was conducted with a sample of online adjunct faculty members from across the United States. The purpose of the study was to identify the essential elements that lead to a sense of community among online adjunct faculty in order to improve job satisfaction and retention. Semi-structured interviews were conducted, and participants took the Sense of Community Index (SCI-2). The research questions were: What do online adjunct faculty identify as essential elements in building a sense of community in a remote work environment? What are the perceptions among online adjunct faculty about how a sense of community in the remote work environment contributes to job satisfaction and decreases job dissatisfaction? What are the perceptions among online adjunct faculty about how a sense of community in the remote work environment contributes to job retention and decreases attrition? The findings of the study have implications for leaders in higher education with remote employees, and provide specific recommendations for communication strategies, social process, and other strategies to best support remote employees.