Environment and Social Psychology

The mediating role of self-efficacy in the relationship between leadership communication, organizational culture, and job satisfaction among academicians in chinese higher education institutions

Wei Yuqin

School of Education, Universiti Utara Malaysia, 06010, Sintok, Kedah, Malaysia

Mohd Faiz Mohd Yaakob

School of Education, Universiti Utara Malaysia, 06010, Sintok, Kedah, Malaysia

DOI: https://doi.org/10.59429/esp.v10i8.3938

Keywords: job satisfaction; leadership communication; organizational culture; self-efficacy; structural equation modelling (SEM)

---

Abstract

This study examines the mediating role of self-efficacy in the relationship between leadership communication, organizational culture, and job satisfaction among academicians in Chinese Higher Education Institutions (HEIs). Using a quantitative, cross-sectional survey design, data were collected from 346 academicians across five HEIs in Zhejiang, China, and analyzed using Structural Equation Modelling (SEM). The results revealed that organizational culture positively influenced both self-efficacy (β = 1.279, p < 0.001) and job satisfaction (β = 0.573, p = 0.012), while self-efficacy also had a significant positive effect on job satisfaction (β = 0.164, p = 0.032). In contrast, leadership communication showed a significant but negative direct effect on job satisfaction (β = –0.176, p = 0.015) and had no significant impact on self-efficacy. Mediation analysis confirmed that self-efficacy partially mediated the effects of both organizational culture and leadership communication on job satisfaction. These findings underscore the importance of fostering a strong organizational culture and enhancing self-efficacy to improve job satisfaction among academic staff, while also suggesting that leadership communication alone may not yield positive outcomes unless supported by internal psychological resources.

---

References

[1]. 1.M. Aheruddin, A. S. S. Siregar, and A. R. Lubis, “Transformational leadership and job satisfaction: The mediating role of work motivation,” Cogent Business & Management, vol. 11, no. 1, 2024. [Online]. Available: https://doi.org/10.1080/23311975.2024.2345331

[2]. 2.J. Alabi, A. A. Alabi, and A. A. Alabi, “Mindfulness and resilience in healthcare: A systematic review,” SAGE Open, vol. 11, no. 2, pp. 1–13, 2021. [Online]. Available: https://doi.org/10.1177/21582440211006627

[3]. 3.E. Babbie, The Practice of Social Research, 12th ed. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth, 2010.

[4]. 4.A. Bandura, Self-Efficacy: The Exercise of Control. New York, NY: Freeman, 1997.

[5]. 5.B. M. Bass and B. J. Avolio, Improving Organizational Effectiveness Through Transformational Leadership. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage, 1994.

[6]. 6.P. M. Blau, Exchange and Power in Social Life. New York, NY: Wiley, 1964.

[7]. 7.J. Brandish, A. M. Watson, and A. J. Avery, “The Chief Pharmaceutical Officer’s Global Health Fellowship: A qualitative evaluation,” Int. J. Pharm. Pract., vol. 29, no. 6, pp. 582–589, 2021. [Online]. Available: https://doi.org/10.1093/ijpp/riab028

[8]. 8.X. Bu, Y. Zhang, and Y. Wang, “Organizational climate and nurses’ humanistic practice ability: The mediating role of self-efficacy,” J. Nurs. Manag., vol. 30, no. 8, pp. 3934–3942, 2022. [Online]. Available: https://doi.org/10.1111/jonm.13435

[9]. 9.Y. Byeon, S. J. Lee, and J. S. Kim, “Psychological safety climate and therapist self-efficacy in delivering evidence-based practices,” Psychol. Serv., vol. 20, no. 1, pp. 1–11, 2023. [Online]. Available: https://doi.org/10.1037/ser0000744

[10]. 10.E. Çarkıt, “The mediating role of goal progress in the relationship between work-related self-efficacy and job satisfaction,” Nesne Psikoloji Dergisi, vol. 12, no. 3, pp. 409–426, 2024. [Online]. Available: https://doi.org/10.31538/ndh.v8i3.4091

[11]. 11.Y. Cheng, X. Liu, and H. Zhou, “Transformational leadership and psychological empowerment: A moderated mediation model,” New Directions for Higher Education, no. 192, pp. 45–58, 2023. [Online]. Available: https://doi.org/10.1002/nml.21229

[12]. 12.J. W. Creswell, Educational Research: Planning, Conducting, and Evaluating Quantitative and Qualitative Research, 4th ed. Boston, MA: Pearson, 2012.

[13]. 13.J. W. Creswell, Research Design: Qualitative, Quantitative, and Mixed Methods Approaches, 4th ed. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage, 2014.

[14]. 14.B. Schneider, M. Ehrhart, and W. Macey, “Perceived leadership communication questionnaire: Development and validation,” J. Appl. Psychol., vol. 85, no. 3, pp. 438–450, 2000.

[15]. 15.M. Sashkin and W. E. Rosenbach, Organizational Culture Assessment Questionnaire. Lexington, MA: Lexington Books, 1996.

[16]. 16.M. Tschannen-Moran, A. Woolfolk Hoy, and W. K. Hoy, “Teacher efficacy: Its meaning and measure,” Rev. Educ. Res., vol. 68, no. 2, pp. 202–248, 1998.

[17]. 17.P. E. Spector, “Measurement of human service staff satisfaction: Development of the Job Satisfaction Survey,” Am. J. Community Psychol., vol. 13, no. 6, pp. 693–713, 1985.

[18]. 18.K. Tuthill, L. McGrath, and R. Connor, “Cross-cultural adaptation and validation of research instruments: A methodological review,” Int. J. Nurs. Stud., vol. 51, no. 5, pp. 670–678, 2014.

[19]. 19.A. Khan, A. Iqbal, and S. Tasleem, “Instructional leadership and teacher self-efficacy: Evidence from Indian schools,” Asia Pacific Journal of Education, vol. 44, no. 2, pp. 233–250, 2024.

[20]. 20.J. R. Edwards and N. P. Rothbard, “Person–Environment Fit Theory: Conceptual foundations, empirical evidence, and future directions,” in The Academy of Management Annals, vol. 1, no. 1, pp. 295–357, 2007.

[21]. 21.R. V. Krejcie and D. W. Morgan, “Determining sample size for research activities,” Educ. Psychol. Meas., vol. 30, no. 3, pp. 607–610, 1970.

[22]. 22.P. Quesado, A. Guzmán, and H. Rodrigues, “Transformational leadership and group satisfaction among nurses: The mediating role of communication,” J. Nurs. Manag., vol. 27, no. 3, pp. 553–561, 2019.

[23]. 23.J. Cho, H. Laschinger, and A. Wong, “The effects of psychological safety on job satisfaction and performance: Evidence from hospital staff,” J. Adv. Nurs., vol. 75, no. 5, pp. 1040–1051, 2019.

[24]. 24.N. Li and J. Shi, “Career motivation, self-efficacy, and turnover intention among social workers: A mediation model,” China Journal of Social Work, vol. 16, no. 1, pp. 45–63, 2023.

[25]. 25.J. Choong and S. Ng, “Trust and organizational climate as predictors of teacher self-efficacy and citizenship behavior: Evidence from Malaysian schools,” Int. J. Educ. Res., vol. 124, p. 102123, 2024. [Online]. Available: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijer.2024.102123

[26]. 26.H. Byeon, S. Kang, and J. Park, “Leader–subordinate discrepancies in psychological safety and their effects on employee self-efficacy and performance,” Front. Psychol., vol. 14, p. 1156342, 2023. [Online]. Available: https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1156342

[27]. 27.Z. Ni, Q. Liu, and J. Sun, “Perceived organizational support, career self-management, and the mediating role of self-efficacy: The moderating effect of proactive personality,” Career Development International, vol. 29, no. 2, pp. 145–163, 2024. [Online]. Available: https://doi.org/10.1108/CDI-03-2023-0067

[28]. 28.A. Cerbin-Koczorowska, P. Waszyńska, and K. Michalak, “Resilience and self-efficacy of medical teachers in higher education during the COVID-19 pandemic: The role of supportive work environments,” BMC Med. Educ., vol. 23, no. 455, pp. 1–10, 2023. [Online]. Available: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-023-0455-7

[29]. 29.K. Rattanawichai, T. Sirisawat, and P. Kanchanapiboon, “Organizational culture of innovation and employee self-efficacy: Evidence from knowledge-intensive industries,” J. Innov. Knowl., vol. 8, no. 4, p. 100395, 2023. [Online]. Available: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jik.2023.100395

[30]. 30.D. B. Lund, “Organizational culture and job satisfaction,” J. Bus. Ind. Mark., vol. 18, no. 3, pp. 219–236, 2003.

[31]. 31.C. Silverthorne, “The impact of organizational culture and person–organization fit on organizational commitment and job satisfaction in Taiwan,” Leadership & Organization Development Journal, vol. 25, no. 7, pp. 592–599, 2004.

[32]. 32.J. Bock, J. George, and C. G. Gino, Work Rules!: Insights from Inside Google That Will Transform How You Live and Lead. New York, NY: Twelve/Hachette Book Group, 2015.

[33]. 33.F. Özbilen, B. Demir, and A. Yildiz, “Career sustainability, self-efficacy, and job satisfaction: Evidence from Turkish professionals,” Sustainability, vol. 16, no. 2, pp. 1–15, 2024.

[34]. 34.A. Edmondson, The Fearless Organization: Creating Psychological Safety in the Workplace for Learning, Innovation, and Growth. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley, 2019.