Open Access

ARTICLE

The Relationship among Chinese Teachers’ Organizational Support, Career Adaptability and Job Satisfaction: The Mediating Effect of Decent Work

Huaruo Chen^1,2, Gefan Wang¹, Hancai Qiu¹, Hui Ma¹, Zhentao Peng¹, Ruihan Liu³, Feng Xu^4,*
1 College of Education Science and Technology, Nanjing University of Posts and Telecommunications, Nanjing, 210023, China
2 Center for Research and Reform in Education, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA
3 School of Education, University of Wisconsin Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA
4 Institute of Vocational and Adult Education, East China Normal University, Shanghai, 200062, China
* Corresponding Author: Feng Xu. Email:
(This article belongs to the Special Issue: Determinants and Subsequences of Subjective Well-being as a Microcosm of Social Change)

International Journal of Mental Health Promotion https://doi.org/10.32604/ijmhp.2025.073911

Received 28 September 2025; Accepted 08 December 2025; Published online 26 December 2025

Abstract

Background: As an important indicator of subjective well-being (SWB), decent work is a key guarantee for the sustainable development of teachers and their psychological health and work quality. Faced with the rapid development of artificial intelligence and the global labor market, vocational college teachers are facing challenges such as workload pressure and limited career development, which may harm their well-being. This study aims to localize the measurement method of decent work in Chinese vocational education based on the theory of the Psychology of Working Theory, and explore the relationship mechanism between organizational support, career adaptability, decent work, and job satisfaction among vocational college teachers. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted with 422 HVCU teachers in China (202 male, 220 female) using the localized Perceived Organizational Support Scale, Career Adaptability Scale, Decent Work Scale, and Job Satisfaction Scale. Results: The overall level of HVCU teachers’ decent work was above the median (Mean = 4.09, SD = 0.69), laying a foundation for their SWB. Decent work significantly and positively predicted job satisfaction (β = 0.620, p < 0.001). Organizational support (r = 0.58, p < 0.001) and career adaptability (r = 0.82, p < 0.001) can positively affect decent work, and further improve job satisfaction (collective R² rising from 38.3% to 41.1%). Bootstrap analysis confirmed these mediating effects were robust. Conclusions: This study confirms that the combined effects of organizational support and career adaptability can enhance decent work, further improving teachers’ job satisfaction and subsequent subjective well-being. Besides, this study provides an empirical basis for improving the well-being of higher vocational teachers and the sustainable development of vocational education, and has practical significance for improving the teacher incentive policy.

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Keywords

Higher vocational teachers; organizational support; career adaptability; decent work; job satisfaction; subjective well-being

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