Gender and Its Impact on Work Engagement and Research Productivity of University Teachers in Serbia

This study investigates the impact of gender on work engagement and research productivity among university teachers in Serbia, with an additional focus on the potential mediating role of work engagement. Grounded in international literature that identifies persistent gender disparities in academic careers, particularly in research performance, the study explores whether similar patterns are evident in the Serbian context. Utilizing a quantitative approach, data were collected via a structured questionnaire, from 263 academic staff across four major public universities. Work engagement was assessed using the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES-9), while research productivity was measured by the number of publications indexed in SCI, SSCI, and ESCI databases. Statistical analyses, including t-tests, correlation, and mediation analysis using PROCESS macro (Model 4), revealed no significant gender differences in either work engagement or research productivity. However, a modest but statistically significant positive correlation was found between work engagement and research productivity. Although work engagement significantly predicted productivity, it did not mediate the relationship between gender and research output. These findings suggest that, while Serbia may exhibit greater gender parity in academia than some international counterparts, subtle forms of inequality may persist and suggest the need for further exploration through expanded and more nuanced research methodologies.