The Reality of Precarious Work in Higher Education Institutions: A Study of Causes, Challenges and Impacts on Adjunct/Temporary Faculty'

Abstract

This research paper aims to diagnose the reality of precarious work in higher education institutions by examining its causes, challenges and effects. A descriptive approach was used for the study, which involved a purposive sample of 52 Master's and PhD degree holders who are unemployed yet working under temporary contracts. Data were collected via specialised Facebook groups, with the questionnaire distributed electronically as the primary research tool. The study concludes that the shift towards this type of work is a response to the limited availability of permanent employment opportunities. It also finds that ambiguity in professional identity, along with vagueness regarding academic and professional pathways, represents the most significant challenges facing the study group. The most prominent consequences at the personal, social, and professional levels are alienation, marginalisation, and the absence of stability. The study also suggests that this type of work creates a dual professional status: on the one hand, it can lead to the development of social and intellectual capital, experience acquisition, and maintenance of connections with the academic/university environment.