Organizational support, reward satisfaction, and teacher commitment in private universities: the mediating role of self-efficacy

Sustaining a committed academic workforce has become an increasing challenge for private higher education institutions operating under resource constraints. Drawing on social exchange theory, this study investigates how organizational resources, namely perceived organizational support and reward satisfaction, are associated with teacher commitment through the mediating role of teacher self-efficacy. Data were collected from 417 faculty members employed at private higher education institutions in eastern China using a cross-sectional survey design. The findings suggest that reward satisfaction holds particular importance in shaping teachers’ long-term organizational attachment, while teacher self-efficacy functions as a key psychological mechanism through which organizational resources are translated into sustained professional commitment. By contextualizing teacher commitment within resource-sensitive higher education environments, this study extends the application of social exchange theory and provides implications for institutional management in emerging higher education systems.