The Future of Education
The Impact of Administrative Burden on University Teachers' Job Burnout: The Moderating Role of Job Autonomy
Jiaxing Wen, Al-Farabi Kazakh National University, Almaty, Kazakhstan (Kazakhstan)
Zihan Mao, Al-Farabi Kazakh National University, Almaty, Kazakhstan (Kazakhstan)
Ruiping Zhang, Al-Farabi Kazakh National University, Almaty, Kazakhstan (Kazakhstan)
Baidaliyev Darkhan Dauletzhanovich, Al-Farabi Kazakh National University, Almaty, Kazakhstan (Kazakhstan)
Peng Luo, Al-Farabi Kazakh National University, Almaty, Kazakhstan (China)
Abstract
ABSTRACT: This study, grounded in the Job Demands-Resources (JD-R) model, investigates the impact of administrative burden on job burnout among university teachers and examines the moderating role of job autonomy. Analyzing survey data from 547 faculty members in central China, the results reveal that administrative burden functions as a significant hindrance demand, positively predicting job burnout (β = 0.584, p < .001). Job autonomy not only has a significant negative direct effect on burnout (β = -0.312, p < .001) but also negatively moderates the relationship between administrative burden and burnout (β = -0.145, p < .01). Simple slope analysis confirms that the positive link between burden and burnout is substantially weaker for teachers with high autonomy. Furthermore, demographic analysis reveals a "vulnerability paradox," with teachers aged 30 and under reporting significantly higher levels of both administrative burden and burnout than their senior counterparts. This study validates the JD-R model in a non-Western higher education context, highlighting administrative burden as a distinct psychological cost that erodes faculty well-being. It underscores job autonomy as a crucial buffering resource. The findings suggest that university administrators should reduce bureaucratic "compliance costs" and enhance professional discretion, particularly for early-career faculty, to foster a more resilient academic workforce.
Keywords: Administrative Burden, Job Burnout, Job Autonomy, University Teachers, Moderation
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