UNIVERSITY INSTRUCTORS PROFESSIONAL LOYALTY AND THEIR TURNOVER INTENTION: EXPERIENCE FROM CHINESE UNIVERSITIES

Abstract

As we all know, the development of higher education in China started late High-level faculty is the key to improve the quality of talent cultivation, and it is also a strategic choice to improve the strength of universities. Whether teachers can be efficient, active, and full of enthusiasm in their work is related to the long-term development of colleges and universities in China. The research of the relationship between professional loyalty and turnover intention of university teachers as knowledge staff also provides some insights for the management of Chinese general higher education institutions, independent colleges, and related educational institutions. In the empirical study, the samples are the teachers from state-owned-but-self-funded affiliated colleges (independent colleges), also known as local independent colleges, which can reflect the current management problems, development status, teachers' professional loyalty and the causes of excessive turnover in Chinese colleges and universities. Teachers of seven independent colleges in Yunnan Province, were used as the sample. Questionnaires were distributed to 389 in-service teachers and 157 separated teachers in independent colleges. The professional loyalty model of university teachers based on the psychological contract theory and turnover intention can applied to human resource management, school management, policy making, talent management, teaching resource planning in colleges and universities in China. The research on the relationship between professional loyalty factors and turnover intention from the perspective of university teachers as professional knowledge staff provides a new direction for the human resource management for teachers in local independent colleges and other relevant higher education institutions in China, including problems in teachers' professional loyalty and turnover. The results evaluated using structural equation modeling (SEM) showed that these relationship model include psychological contract violation, job satisfaction, work engagement, organization commitment, professional commitment and turnover intention frameworks offer clear analysis and school management development direction. The school should endeavor to provide teachers with a good teaching environment, fair and competitive salaries, and benefits, and create an honest organizational culture and psychological contract commitment. When the school fails to fulfill certain responsibilities and obligations, it cannot shirk its responsibilities, but should make sincere and reasonable explanations to employees and take necessary measures.

-