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The present study utilizes the Meyer and Allen three-component model of organizational commitment to measure commitment among faculty members in Saudi Arabia. The study further investigates the relationship between the faculty's demographic variables (gender, academic rank, college cluster, years of experience, and nationality) and their organizational commitment. A survey research design was used to measure 185 faculty members' commitment to their organizations. This study's results demonstrate high levels of effective organizational commitment among respondents. Academic rank was found to be significantly related to organizational commitment among other demographic variables. The implications of the study could be used to improve organizational commitment among faculty members in Saudi Arabia.

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PurposeThis study examined predictors of cumulative grade point average (GPA) from entrance scores and successive performance during students' academic work in university engineering programs.Design/methodology/approachScores from high school coursework, the General Ability Test and the Achievement Test were examined to determine if these factors and annual successive GPAs were predictors of long-term GPA. The sample consisted of 2,031 students registered in university engineering programs during the 2013–2019 period.FindingsCorrelations were significant between entrance scores and the preparatory year GPA but not with cumulative GPA. Also, correlations were significant between year-1 GPA to year-3 GPA and the graduation GPA. Adjacent year GPA is the better predictor of later GPA. More importantly, GPA at the time of graduation is well predicted by GPAs throughout years of study within engineering programs after controlling for entrance scores. Girls outperform boys in their entrance scores and GPAs. Hence, girls are likely to obtain higher cumulative GPAs.Research limitations/implicationsThe implications of the study findings could help university faculty and administrators to understand the role of current entrance scores in predicting academic achievement of engineering students. In addition, the results could serve as a foundation to review weights of entrance scores for future developments and revisions. The findings of the study are limited to admission data for engineering students during the 2013–2019 period. Other disciplines may show a different pattern of relationships among the studied variables.Practical implicationsThe study findings have useful practical implications for admitting and monitoring student progress at engineering education programs. Results may help program curriculum development specialists and committees in designing admission criteria.Social implicationsAdministrators and faculty members are advised to consider entrance scores when providing counseling and monitoring throughout students' program-year progress. More attention should be devoted to university performance when interest is focused on later or graduation CGPA, with less emphasis on entrance scores.Originality/valueThe existed previous studies explored factors that influence the student performance in engineering programs. This study documents the role of admission criteria and successive GPAs in predicting the student graduation CGPA in engineering programs. Relationships between factors are crucial for engineering program revisions and policymaking.

The purpose of this study was to examine the role of gender as a potential determinant of involvement in higher education institutions in Saudi Arabia. This study focuses on four specific categories of involvement: power, rewards, information, and knowledge. It utilized Edward Lawler's model of high involvement work processes to measure the involvement among female faculty in the University of Dammam, Saudi Arabia. Edward Lawler's model is one of the first and widely cited models on employee involvement. This study further investigates the relation between the faculty's demographic variables (academic rank, college cluster, years of experience, and nationality) and their involvement. A survey research design was utilized to better address the purpose of this study. The sample consisted of 135 female faculty members. The findings show a moderate level of involvement among the respondents. Of the individual practices of involvement, power was the most wide-spread practice, with a mean rating of 3.72 and a standard deviation of .786, based on the five-point scale. Regarding the demographic variables, only college cluster was found to be significantly related to females' involvement. The implications of this study could be used to further support involvement policies and practices among female faculty members in Saudi Arabia.