Career education and faculty outcomes in higher education: The mediating role of career development in turnover intention and organizational citizenship behaviour

Abstract

The study examines the relationships among career education (CE), career development (CD), turnover intention (TI), and organizational citizenship behaviour (OCB) of faculty members working in private higher education institutions (HEIs) in Sindh province of Pakistan. Using a stratified random method, data were collected across 43 universities including 384 faculty members. Guided by Social Exchange Theory (SET), this study tested a mediation model in which CD carries the impact of CE to the key behavioural outcomes. The hypothesized relationships were assessed using PLS-SEM (Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling). The findings revealed that CE has a significant positive impact on CD and that CD, in turn, has a negative impact on TI while positively impacts OCB. This means that faculty members who perceive more development opportunities have a lower intention to leave and a higher likelihood to contribute in OCB. However, CE has positive indirect effects on both outcomes through CD, the direct effect of CE on TI is weak and statistically non significant, which confirms the importance of CD as a key mediating variable. This study suggests the importance of career-oriented Human Resources (HR) practices in the private HEIs of the Sindh province of Pakistan and suggest that by enhancing the career education initiatives among the faculty members will improve retention and OCB simultaneously. The discussion covers HR policy implications, planning for faculty development, and institutional performance.