Work Stress and Burnout among Human Resources Personnel in Private Higher Education Institutions in China: The Mediating Role of Job Satisfaction
Keywords:
Work Stress, Burnout, Job SatisfactionAbstract
As China’s private higher education institutions undergo transformative development, the Human Resources Department, as one of the core departments, faces significantly increased work stress, decreased job satisfaction, and intensified burnout among its staff. Although previous studies have focused on the relationships among these variables, the within-specific dynamics to the context of private higher education institutions in China remain insufficiently explored. This study aimed to 1) investigate the interactions among work stress, job satisfaction, and burnout, 2) examine the mediating role of job satisfaction between work stress and burnout, and 3) provide theoretical and empirical support for human resources management in private higher education institutions.
Using a quantitative research method, this study surveys the staff of Human Resources Departments in private higher education institutions in Yunnan Province, China, with a valid sample size of 423. Statistical methods were analyzed to examine the relationships and underlying mechanisms among work stress, job satisfaction, and burnout. The findings indicate that there is a significant positive correlation between work stress and burnout, with job
satisfaction serving as a significant mediator in this relationship. Specifically, the analysis revealed that work stress indirectly increases burnout by reducing job satisfaction.
Based on the results, this study underscores the importance of managing work stress in the context of private higher education institutions, demonstrates that enhancing job satisfaction can effectively alleviate burnout, and recommends that private higher education institutions adopt strategies to optimize the work environment, provide training and development opportunities, enhance the job satisfaction of Human Resources Department staff, and reduce burnout.
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