Organizational links: a case study of professors of a private superior education institution located in Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil

Abstract

This research analyzes organizational links of professors with a private Superior Education Institution in Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil. The study comprises a quantitative and qualitative descriptive study that was carried out with 82 professors who teach in Engineering and IT courses. The most relevant links to the professors were the feelings of belongingness and autonomy. The age above 40 years old was correlated to links of autonomy and idealization of the institution, whereas schooling was correlated to the link cooperation during activities and the length of teaching experience was associated with the integration among the members. Academic experience and the brand of the institution are amongst the elements that justify those associations. The qualitative results suggest that belongingness denotes a congruence of the professors with the philosophy of the institution and that autonomy results from the freedom they have to express ideas and to plan and perform their own work.