Reassessing Role Stressors as Drivers of Organizational Commitment:Evidence from Contract-Based Lecturers in Chinese Higher Education

Abstract

This study examines the influence of role ambiguity, role conflict, and role overload on affective, continuance, and normative commitment among contract-based university lecturers in Jiangsu Province, China. While role stressors are traditionally viewed as detrimental to employee well-being, this study proposes that, under specific academic and cultural conditions, they may positively reinforce organizational commitment. Drawing on Role Theory, Organizational Commitment Theory, and the Job Demands–Resources Model, a structural equation modeling approach (SmartPLS 4.0) was used to analyze data from 305 valid responses. Results indicate that all three role stressors significantly and positively affect the three dimensions of commitment, suggesting that complex academic roles can serve as motivational challenges when supported by institutional frameworks. These findings contribute to a contextualized understanding of stressor–commitment relationships in non-tenured academic settings and offer implications for role management, performance appraisal, and contract policy reforms in higher education institutions.