Abstract:

The quality of life (QoL) of researchers plays a fundamental role in professional performance, career satisfaction, and retention in public educational institutions. In academic environments that encompass multiple demands, in the Brazilian case, researchers are responsible for teaching, research, academic management, and extension, and the perception of remuneration can impact well-being. This can influence choices related to academic mobility, including interest in seeking opportunities at foreign institutions. The objective of this study was to analyse the association between the perception of remuneration as a motivator for international mobility and the prevalence of low QoL among teachers affiliated with a professional and technological education institution in the Midwest of Brazil.

This is a quantitative, cross-sectional study in which QoL was measured using the WHOQOL-BREF instrument. A bivariate analysis was performed using Wald's chi-square test and a Poisson regression model with robust variance to estimate the prevalence ratio (PR) of low QoL according to the degree of agreement among participants regarding the influence of low pay on their intention to migrate to another institution. The sample consisted of 73 researchers at an institution in the Midwest of Brazil. Adopting respective 95% confidence intervals (CI) (α = 0.05).

Agreement with low remuneration as a reason for international mobility was significantly associated with low QoL in the physical (PR = 2.41; p = 0.007), psychological (PR = 2.75; p = 0.004) and environmental domains (PR = 3.12; p = 0.001), as well as the total score (PR = 2.19; p = 0.004). In the social relations domain, a tendency towards association was observed (PR = 2.14; p ≈ 0.074).

The results suggest that researchers who see low remuneration as a motivating factor for international mobility are strongly associated to low QoL in several dimensions. The most concerning finding relates to the Environmental Domain, where researchers who agree with this motivation have more than three times the prevalence of low QoL. This indicates that environmental conditions, institutional resources, and infrastructure have a significant impact on perceptions of well-being. In addition, the physical and psychological domains, as well as the total score, showed significant associations. These findings highlight the importance of integrated institutional policies that promote well-being, professional development, and career support, helping to retain researchers and improve their working conditions.

Keywords:

Public Administration, Occupational Well-being, Internationalisation, Working Conditions.