Performance Effects of Leadership Support Behavior in University Teachers’ Career Development in Shandong Province: A Cross-sectional Study Based on Social Exchange Theory
Improving faculty job performance is a central concern for higher education quality in China. Grounded in social exchange theory, this study examines how leadership support behavior shapes university teachers’ job performance through the pathway of career development. A cross-sectional survey of 484 faculty members at universities in Shandong Province, China, was conducted, and data were analyzed with hierarchical regression and Bootstrap mediation tests. The results showed that leadership support behavior had a significant positive effect on both job performance (β = 0.35, p < 0.001) and career development (β = 0.49, p < 0.001). Career development was found to partially mediate the link between leadership support behavior and job performance, with the indirect effect accounting for 42.9% of the total effect. By situating social exchange theory within Chinese higher education institutions and their characteristic dual governance structures, this study demonstrates that career development functions as a key mediating mechanism connecting leadership support behavior to job performance. The findings offer empirical guidance for university administrators seeking to refine leadership practices and for policymakers aiming to strengthen faculty career development support systems.
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