Precarious Employment and Workplace Discrimination Among Academics in Universities

Abstract

Precarious employment and workplace discrimination among university academics have long been a concern and have attracted increasing scholarly attention. However, fragmented research and limited synthesis have left the understanding of these experiences incomplete. This study addresses this gap through a systematic literature review examining the forms of discrimination experienced by academics in precarious employment situations within universities. The study aims to synthesise existing research and propose directions for future research. The guiding research question is: What forms of discrimination are experienced by academics in precarious employment situations within universities? A systematic literature review was conducted, identifying 35 peer-reviewed journal articles through a rigorous search of two international databases: Business Source Complete (EBSCOhost) and Scopus. The studies were analysed using thematic analysis to identify recurring patterns and themes, which were organised and visualised using a thematic network diagram. The findings show that precariously employed academics experience two main forms of discrimination: identity-based discrimination and employment-related discrimination. The review further indicates that institutional practices perpetuate inequalities, links precarious employment to organisational dehumanisation, and shows that discrimination is experienced to varying degrees depending on individual and contextual factors, informing directions for future research. Overall, this study contributes to theory and practice by advancing a multi-level understanding of precarious academic employment and by providing evidence-based insights to inform more equitable university policies and practices.