IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v14y2022i11p6425-d823245.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Organizational Well-Being of Italian Doctoral Students: Is Academia Sustainable When It Comes to Gender Equality?

Author

Listed:
  • Chiara Corvino

    (Dipartimento di Psicologia, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 20123 Milan, Italy)

  • Amalia De Leo

    (Dipartimento di Psicologia, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 20123 Milan, Italy)

  • Miriam Parise

    (Dipartimento di Psicologia, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 20123 Milan, Italy)

  • Giulia Buscicchio

    (Department of Living Condition, Luxembourg Institute of Socio-Economic Research, Esch-sur-Alzette/Belval, L-4366 Luxembourg, Luxembourg
    Department of Social Sciences, University of Luxembourg, Esch-sur-Alzette/Belval, L-4366 Luxembourg, Luxembourg)

Abstract

Despite the fact that there are several researchers reporting the risks of doctoral students in terms of mental health, there is still a lack of studies exploring their well-being at an organizational level, looking at the difference between male and female PhD students. This work aims at describing gender differences in the organizational well-being of doctoral students in an Italian context. A sample of 121 Italian PhD students filled an adaption of the ANAC questionnaire (National Authority for Anti-Corruption) for an organizational well-being assessment between June and July 2021. The results show that there are a number of well-being indicators for which female PhD students have statistically lower scores than men regarding: (1) the perception of health and safety at work; (2) career development; and (3) job autonomy. Practical suggestions to improve the academic system in terms of sustainability for preventing PhD students’ organizational malaise with a particular focus on gender equality are provided.

Suggested Citation

  • Chiara Corvino & Amalia De Leo & Miriam Parise & Giulia Buscicchio, 2022. "Organizational Well-Being of Italian Doctoral Students: Is Academia Sustainable When It Comes to Gender Equality?," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(11), pages 1-15, May.
  • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:14:y:2022:i:11:p:6425-:d:823245
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/14/11/6425/pdf
    Download Restriction: no

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/14/11/6425/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Levecque, Katia & Anseel, Frederik & De Beuckelaer, Alain & Van der Heyden, Johan & Gisle, Lydia, 2017. "Work organization and mental health problems in PhD students," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 46(4), pages 868-879.
    2. Cathelijn J F Waaijer & Hans Sonneveld & Simone E Buitendijk & Cornelis A van Bochove & Inge C M van der Weijden, 2016. "The Role of Gender in the Employment, Career Perception and Research Performance of Recent PhD Graduates from Dutch Universities," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 11(10), pages 1-16, October.
    3. Julie Posselt, 2018. "Normalizing Struggle: Dimensions of Faculty Support for Doctoral Students and Implications for Persistence and Well-Being," The Journal of Higher Education, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 89(6), pages 988-1013, November.
    4. Marcus J. Fila & Justin Purl & Seulki (Rachel) Jang, 2022. "Demands, Resources, Well-Being and Strain: Meta-Analyzing Moderator Effects of Workforce Racial Composition," Applied Research in Quality of Life, Springer;International Society for Quality-of-Life Studies, vol. 17(4), pages 2163-2190, August.
    5. Antonio Abatemarco & Roberto Dell'Anno, 2012. "Italian Reform of the academic recruitment system. An appraisal of ANVUR and CUN benchmarks for assessing candidates and commissioners," Rivista italiana degli economisti, Società editrice il Mulino, issue 3, pages 441-480.
    6. Heather Sarsons, 2017. "Recognition for Group Work: Gender Differences in Academia," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 107(5), pages 141-145, May.
    7. World Commission on Environment and Development,, 1987. "Our Common Future," OUP Catalogue, Oxford University Press, number 9780192820808.
    8. Karen L. Webber & Samantha M. Rogers, 2018. "Gender Differences in Faculty Member Job Satisfaction: Equity Forestalled?," Research in Higher Education, Springer;Association for Institutional Research, vol. 59(8), pages 1105-1132, December.
    9. Ethan Pew & César Zamudio & Hua (Meg) Meng, 2021. "Beyond perception: the role of gender across marketing scholars’ careers, in reply to Galak and Kahn (2021)," Marketing Letters, Springer, vol. 32(3), pages 313-323, September.
    10. Chris Woolston, 2019. "PhDs: the tortuous truth," Nature, Nature, vol. 575(7782), pages 403-406, November.
    11. Nhat Tan Pham & Hung Trong Hoang & Quyen Phu Thi Phan, 2019. "Green human resource management: a comprehensive review and future research agenda," International Journal of Manpower, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 41(7), pages 845-878, October.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Anna Muro & Iván Bonilla & Claudia Tejada-Gallardo & María Paola Jiménez-Villamizar & Ramon Cladellas & Antoni Sanz & Miquel Torregrossa, 2022. "The Third Half: A Pilot Study Using Evidence-Based Psychological Strategies to Promote Well-Being among Doctoral Students," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(24), pages 1-16, December.
    2. Aljoscha Dreisoerner & Anamarija Klaic & Rolf Dick & Nina M. Junker, 2023. "Self-Compassion as a Means to Improve Job-Related Well-Being in Academia," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 24(2), pages 409-428, February.
    3. Mechthild Donner & Anne Verniquet & Jan Broeze & Katrin Kayser & Hugo de Vries, 2021. "Critical success and risk factors for circular business models valorising agricultural waste and by-products," Post-Print hal-03004851, HAL.
    4. Cornelis Leeuwen & Jos Frijns & Annemarie Wezel & Frans Ven, 2012. "City Blueprints: 24 Indicators to Assess the Sustainability of the Urban Water Cycle," Water Resources Management: An International Journal, Published for the European Water Resources Association (EWRA), Springer;European Water Resources Association (EWRA), vol. 26(8), pages 2177-2197, June.
    5. CHEN, Helen S.Y., 2020. "Designing Sustainable Humanitarian Supply Chains," OSF Preprints m82ar, Center for Open Science.
    6. Jim Butcher, 2006. "The United Nations International Year of Ecotourism: a critical analysis of development implications," Progress in Development Studies, , vol. 6(2), pages 146-156, April.
    7. Denise Ravet, 2011. "Lean production: the link between supply chain and sustainable development in an international environment," Post-Print hal-00691666, HAL.
    8. Mara Del Baldo, 2012. "Corporate social responsibility and corporate governance in Italian SMEs: the experience of some “spirited businesses”," Journal of Management & Governance, Springer;Accademia Italiana di Economia Aziendale (AIDEA), vol. 16(1), pages 1-36, February.
    9. Megan Devonald & Nicola Jones & Sally Youssef, 2022. "‘We Have No Hope for Anything’: Exploring Interconnected Economic, Social and Environmental Risks to Adolescents in Lebanon," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(4), pages 1-17, February.
    10. Rigby, Dan & Woodhouse, Phil & Young, Trevor & Burton, Michael, 2001. "Constructing a farm level indicator of sustainable agricultural practice," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 39(3), pages 463-478, December.
    11. Michael Howes & Liana Wortley & Ruth Potts & Aysin Dedekorkut-Howes & Silvia Serrao-Neumann & Julie Davidson & Timothy Smith & Patrick Nunn, 2017. "Environmental Sustainability: A Case of Policy Implementation Failure?," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 9(2), pages 1-17, January.
    12. Shiferaw, Bekele & Holden, Stein, 1999. "Soil Erosion and Smallholders' Conservation Decisions in the Highlands of Ethiopia," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 27(4), pages 739-752, April.
    13. Ibrahim Ari & Muammer Koc, 2018. "Sustainable Financing for Sustainable Development: Understanding the Interrelations between Public Investment and Sovereign Debt," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(11), pages 1-25, October.
    14. Parnphumeesup, Piya & Kerr, Sandy A., 2011. "Stakeholder preferences towards the sustainable development of CDM projects: Lessons from biomass (rice husk) CDM project in Thailand," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 39(6), pages 3591-3601, June.
    15. Pengji Wang & Adrian T. H. Kuah & Qinye Lu & Caroline Wong & K. Thirumaran & Emmanuel Adegbite & Wesley Kendall, 2021. "The impact of value perceptions on purchase intention of sustainable luxury brands in China and the UK," Journal of Brand Management, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 28(3), pages 325-346, May.
    16. Christoph M. Schmidt & Nils aus dem Moore, 2014. "Wie geht es uns? Die W3-Indikatoren für eine neue Wohlstandsmessung," RWI Positionen, Rheinisch-Westfälisches Institut für Wirtschaftsforschung, pages 16, 03.
    17. Katundu Imasiku & Valerie M. Thomas & Etienne Ntagwirumugara, 2020. "Unpacking Ecological Stress from Economic Activities for Sustainability and Resource Optimization in Sub-Saharan Africa," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(9), pages 1-12, April.
    18. Chin-Shan Lu & Kuo-Chung Shang & Chi-Chang Lin, 2016. "Examining sustainability performance at ports: port managers’ perspectives on developing sustainable supply chains," Maritime Policy & Management, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 43(8), pages 909-927, November.
    19. Kebede, Yohannes, 1993. "The Limits to Common Resource Management: The Bypassed Commons or Commons without Tragedy," MPRA Paper 662, University Library of Munich, Germany, revised 01 May 1993.
    20. John Stanley & Janet Stanley, 2023. "Improving Appraisal Methodology for Land Use Transport Measures to Reduce Risk of Social Exclusion," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(15), pages 1-18, August.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:14:y:2022:i:11:p:6425-:d:823245. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.