If You Don’t Care, Then Why Should I? The Influence of Instructor Commitment on Student Satisfaction and Commitment

Abstract

Management education often takes place at institutions where research is one of the top priorities of the faculty and administration. In this context, and others, instructors may not be fully committed to their teaching. Yet student satisfaction with their professors is an important determinant of a university’s reputation. We explore how an instructor’s attitude about teaching influences student outcomes in general and student satisfaction and commitment specifically. Using a sample of 286 students and five different management instructors, our research establishes an instructor’s attitude about teaching, specifically the instructor’s self-rated commitment to the students in his or her class, as having a positive influence on student-rated satisfaction. Moreover, perceived instructor support is established as the explanatory mechanism that mediates the relationship between an instructor’s commitment to students and student satisfaction as well as the relationship between an instructor’s commitment to students and student commitment. Based on our findings, we offer implications for administrators and management educators alike for fostering supportive environments that will enhance student satisfaction and commitment.