Determinants of Occupational Loyalty among Guangdong Univer-sity teachers: Moral Leadership, Work Autonomy, Psychological Con-tract, and Work Stress

Abstract

Within the framework of the "Double First-Class" initiative and ongoing reforms in higher education evaluation, the occupational loyalty of university faculty is closely linked to educational quality and the development of higher education. To investigate the mechanisms underlying this relationship, this study, grounded in the dual theories of Psychological Contract and stress interaction, employs a sample of 415 university instructors from Guangdong, China. It constructs an "antecedent-mediator-moderator-outcome" model and empirically examines the effects of Moral Leadership and work autonomy, the mediating role of Psychological Contracts, and the moderating effect of work-related stress. The results demonstrate that both Moral Leadership and work autonomy positively influence Psychological Contracts and occupational loyalty among university educators; the Psychological Contract partially mediates the relationships between these variables and occupational loyalty; and work-related stress negatively moderates the pathways from "Moral Leadership" to "Psychological Contract" and from "work autonomy" to "Psychological Contract," with more pronounced positive effects of Moral Leadership and work autonomy under conditions of low stress. This research enhances the theoretical  understanding of occupational loyalty by integrating these two theoretical frameworks.  It also provides practical guidance for higher education institutions to foster Moral Leadership, optimize the allocation of work autonomy, sustain Psychological Contracts, and implement targeted stress management strategies. The findings carry significant implications for advancing university faculty development.