An individual-level analysis of academic staff’s subjective well-being and career success: examining the mediating role of psychological capital and the moderating effects of gender, generation type and educational level
This study investigates the determinants of Academic Career Success (ACS) and Subjective Well-Being (SWB) among academics, positioning Psychological Capital (PsyCap) as a central mediating variable. Work–Family Conflict (WFC) and Self-Directed Career Management (SDCM) are examined as predictors, whi...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Taylor & Francis Group
2025-12-01
|
| Series: | Cogent Business & Management |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/23311975.2025.2543052 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1849338817082818560 |
|---|---|
| author | Rahmi Fahmy Nasri Bachtiar Hafiz Rahman Laura Amelia Triani |
| author_facet | Rahmi Fahmy Nasri Bachtiar Hafiz Rahman Laura Amelia Triani |
| author_sort | Rahmi Fahmy |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | This study investigates the determinants of Academic Career Success (ACS) and Subjective Well-Being (SWB) among academics, positioning Psychological Capital (PsyCap) as a central mediating variable. Work–Family Conflict (WFC) and Self-Directed Career Management (SDCM) are examined as predictors, while gender, generational cohort (gen-type), and educational level are tested as potential moderators. The sample consists of 146 academic staff from public and private universities in Indonesia, all with at least one year of professional experience. The findings strongly support the hypothesized indirect effects, revealing that PsyCap significantly mediates the relationships between WFC, SDCM, and ACS and exerts a direct positive influence on ACS. Gender, gen-type, and educational level do not moderate the relationships with SWB or ACS; however, they directly and significantly affect ACS. Academics with higher qualifications and older generational cohorts achieve greater ACS. While no gender differences emerge in ACS, notable disparities are found in SWB—female academics report significantly higher well-being than males. These results highlight PsyCap as a strategic resource for boosting academic career success and underscore the importance of demographic factors in shaping career trajectories. Strengthening PsyCap may serve as a high-impact intervention for enhancing both professional achievement and personal well-being in academia. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-d0b943457c5e48c9bda82b3e7be7c0b4 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2331-1975 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-12-01 |
| publisher | Taylor & Francis Group |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Cogent Business & Management |
| spelling | doaj-art-d0b943457c5e48c9bda82b3e7be7c0b42025-08-20T03:44:18ZengTaylor & Francis GroupCogent Business & Management2331-19752025-12-0112110.1080/23311975.2025.2543052An individual-level analysis of academic staff’s subjective well-being and career success: examining the mediating role of psychological capital and the moderating effects of gender, generation type and educational levelRahmi Fahmy0Nasri Bachtiar1Hafiz Rahman2Laura Amelia Triani3Faculty of Economics and Business, University of Andalas, Padang City, IndonesiaFaculty of Economics and Business, University of Andalas, Padang City, IndonesiaFaculty of Economics and Business, University of Andalas, Padang City, IndonesiaFaculty of Economics and Business, University of Andalas, Padang City, IndonesiaThis study investigates the determinants of Academic Career Success (ACS) and Subjective Well-Being (SWB) among academics, positioning Psychological Capital (PsyCap) as a central mediating variable. Work–Family Conflict (WFC) and Self-Directed Career Management (SDCM) are examined as predictors, while gender, generational cohort (gen-type), and educational level are tested as potential moderators. The sample consists of 146 academic staff from public and private universities in Indonesia, all with at least one year of professional experience. The findings strongly support the hypothesized indirect effects, revealing that PsyCap significantly mediates the relationships between WFC, SDCM, and ACS and exerts a direct positive influence on ACS. Gender, gen-type, and educational level do not moderate the relationships with SWB or ACS; however, they directly and significantly affect ACS. Academics with higher qualifications and older generational cohorts achieve greater ACS. While no gender differences emerge in ACS, notable disparities are found in SWB—female academics report significantly higher well-being than males. These results highlight PsyCap as a strategic resource for boosting academic career success and underscore the importance of demographic factors in shaping career trajectories. Strengthening PsyCap may serve as a high-impact intervention for enhancing both professional achievement and personal well-being in academia.https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/23311975.2025.2543052Academic career successself-directed career managementwork-family conflictsubjective well-being, andpsychological capitalHigher education |
| spellingShingle | Rahmi Fahmy Nasri Bachtiar Hafiz Rahman Laura Amelia Triani An individual-level analysis of academic staff’s subjective well-being and career success: examining the mediating role of psychological capital and the moderating effects of gender, generation type and educational level Cogent Business & Management Academic career success self-directed career management work-family conflict subjective well-being, and psychological capital Higher education |
| title | An individual-level analysis of academic staff’s subjective well-being and career success: examining the mediating role of psychological capital and the moderating effects of gender, generation type and educational level |
| title_full | An individual-level analysis of academic staff’s subjective well-being and career success: examining the mediating role of psychological capital and the moderating effects of gender, generation type and educational level |
| title_fullStr | An individual-level analysis of academic staff’s subjective well-being and career success: examining the mediating role of psychological capital and the moderating effects of gender, generation type and educational level |
| title_full_unstemmed | An individual-level analysis of academic staff’s subjective well-being and career success: examining the mediating role of psychological capital and the moderating effects of gender, generation type and educational level |
| title_short | An individual-level analysis of academic staff’s subjective well-being and career success: examining the mediating role of psychological capital and the moderating effects of gender, generation type and educational level |
| title_sort | individual level analysis of academic staff s subjective well being and career success examining the mediating role of psychological capital and the moderating effects of gender generation type and educational level |
| topic | Academic career success self-directed career management work-family conflict subjective well-being, and psychological capital Higher education |
| url | https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/23311975.2025.2543052 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT rahmifahmy anindividuallevelanalysisofacademicstaffssubjectivewellbeingandcareersuccessexaminingthemediatingroleofpsychologicalcapitalandthemoderatingeffectsofgendergenerationtypeandeducationallevel AT nasribachtiar anindividuallevelanalysisofacademicstaffssubjectivewellbeingandcareersuccessexaminingthemediatingroleofpsychologicalcapitalandthemoderatingeffectsofgendergenerationtypeandeducationallevel AT hafizrahman anindividuallevelanalysisofacademicstaffssubjectivewellbeingandcareersuccessexaminingthemediatingroleofpsychologicalcapitalandthemoderatingeffectsofgendergenerationtypeandeducationallevel AT lauraameliatriani anindividuallevelanalysisofacademicstaffssubjectivewellbeingandcareersuccessexaminingthemediatingroleofpsychologicalcapitalandthemoderatingeffectsofgendergenerationtypeandeducationallevel AT rahmifahmy individuallevelanalysisofacademicstaffssubjectivewellbeingandcareersuccessexaminingthemediatingroleofpsychologicalcapitalandthemoderatingeffectsofgendergenerationtypeandeducationallevel AT nasribachtiar individuallevelanalysisofacademicstaffssubjectivewellbeingandcareersuccessexaminingthemediatingroleofpsychologicalcapitalandthemoderatingeffectsofgendergenerationtypeandeducationallevel AT hafizrahman individuallevelanalysisofacademicstaffssubjectivewellbeingandcareersuccessexaminingthemediatingroleofpsychologicalcapitalandthemoderatingeffectsofgendergenerationtypeandeducationallevel AT lauraameliatriani individuallevelanalysisofacademicstaffssubjectivewellbeingandcareersuccessexaminingthemediatingroleofpsychologicalcapitalandthemoderatingeffectsofgendergenerationtypeandeducationallevel |