THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN QUALITY CULTURE AND HAPPINESS OF LECTURERS AT TRA VINH UNIVERSITY
Main Article Content
Abstract
This study’s objectives were to investigate the relationship between the quality culture and teachers’ happiness at work while considering the mediating role of leadership support under work pressure conditions at Tra Vinh University. Twelve semi-structured interviews (each lasting 45 – 75 minutes) and 385 valid survey responses have been conducted and analyzed using the JAMOVI software. Au-dio-recorded interviews (with field notes) were transcribed into Vietnamese. The survey results were satisfactory, with Cron-bach’s α = .892-.957. The results of the regression analysis showed that the model explained 44.05% of variance in lecturers’ happiness (R² = .4405). Quality culture made the highest contribution with a positive association (β = .597; p < .001), followed by leadership support with positive (β = .101; p = .020) and work pressure with negative associations (β = -.113; p = .006). Interviews identified differences between implemented quality values and approaches to meeting quality requirements, noting the importance of recognition, dialogue, and fairness. In addition, the study identified a number of challenges in balancing academic work and administrative duties within the framework of implementing Total Quality Management. Since the study used a cross-sectional design, it was unable to establish causal relationships between variables.
Keywords
faculty happiness, leadership support, quality culture, Tra Vinh University
Article Details
References
Bakker, A. B., Demerouti, E., & Sanz-Vergel, A. (2023). Job Demands-Resources Theory: Ten years later. Annual Review of Organizational Psychology and Organizational Behavior, 10, 25–53. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-orgpsych-120920-053933
Bendermacher, G. W. G., oude Egbrink, M. G. A., Wolfhagen, I. H. A. P., & Dolmans, D. H. J. M. (2017). Unravelling quality culture in higher education: A realist review. Higher Education, 73(1), 39–60. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10734-015-9979-2
Crawford, E. R., LePine, J. A., & Rich, B. L. (2010). Linking job demands and resources to employee engagement and burnout: A theoretical extension and meta-analytic test. Journal of Applied Psychology, 95(5), 834–848. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0019364
Deci, E. L., & Ryan, R. M. (2000). The “what” and “why” of goal pursuits: Human needs and the self-determination of behavior. Psychological Inquiry, 11(4), 227–268. https://doi.org/10.1207/S15327965PLI1104_01
Do, D. T., Le, C. L., & Giang, T. V. (2020). The correlation between internal quality assurance and the formation of quality culture in Vietnam higher education: A case study in Ho Chi Minh City. European Journal of Educational Research, 9(2), 499–509. https://doi.org/10.12973/eu-jer.9.2.499
European University Association. (2006). Quality culture in European universities: A bottom-up approach. European University Association.
Fisher, C. D. (2010). Happiness at work. International Journal of Management Reviews, 12(4), 384–412. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-2370.2009.00270.x
Hair, J. F., Black, W. C., Babin, B. J., & Anderson, R. E. (2019). Multivariate data analysis (8th ed.). Cengage Learning.
Harvey, L., & Stensaker, B. (2008). Quality culture: Understandings, boundaries and linkages. European Journal of Education, 43(4), 427–442. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1465-3435.2008.00367.x
Knight, C., Patterson, M., & Dawson, J. (2017). Building work engagement: A systematic review and meta-analysis investigating the effectiveness of work engagement interventions. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 38(6), 792–812. https://doi.org/10.1002/job.2167
Mazzetti, G., Robledo, E., Vignoli, M., Topa, G., Guglielmi, D., & Schaufeli, W. B. (2023). Work engagement: A meta-analysis using the Job Demands-Resources model. Psychological Reports, 126(3), 1069–1107. https://doi.org/10.1177/00332941211051988
Meyer, J. P., & Allen, N. J. (1991). A three-component conceptualization of organizational commitment. Human Resource Management Review, 1(1), 61–89. https://doi.org/10.1016/1053-4822(91)90011-Z
Naidoo-Chetty, M., & du Plessis, M. (2021). Job demands and job resources of academics in higher education. Frontiers in Psychology, 12, 631171. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.631171
Nguyen, T. N. X. (2017). Khung tiêu chuẩn đánh giá văn hóa chất lượng trường đại học theo tiếp cận giá trị [Framework of standards for assessing university quality culture using a value-based approach]. Journal of Education, 408, 26–28.
Nguyen, T. N. X., & Le, D. N. (2019). Đề xuất tiêu chuẩn khung đánh giá văn hóa chất lượng trường đại học [Proposed framework standards for assessing university quality culture]. Journal of Education, Special issue, April, 107–110.
Nguyen, T. N. X., & Pham, H. T. (2022). Phân tích các yếu tố văn hóa chất lượng ảnh hưởng đến việc thực hiện quyền tự chủ đại học: Nghiên cứu trường hợp Trường Đại học Trà Vinh [Analysis of quality-culture factors affecting university autonomy: A case study of Tra Vinh University]. Journal of Education, 22(1), 35–41.
Pham, X. H. (2025). The impact of job satisfaction on work engagement of lecturers in autonomous universities. HNUE Journal of Science: Educational Sciences, 70(3), 16–26. https://doi.org/10.18173/2354-1075.2025-0047
Podsakoff, P. M., Podsakoff, N. P., Williams, L. J., Huang, C., & Yang, J. (2024). Common method bias: It's bad, it's complex, it's widespread, and it's not easy to fix. Annual Review of Organizational Psychology and Organizational Behavior, 11, 17–61. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-orgpsych-110721-040030
Schaufeli, W. B., Bakker, A. B., & Salanova, M. (2006). The measurement of work engagement with a short questionnaire: A cross-national study. Educational and Psychological Measurement, 66(4), 701–716. https://doi.org/10.1177/0013164405282471