Educational Management Factors and Occupational Burnout Among Administrative Personnel in Chinese Higher Education Institutions

Abstract

Occupational burnout among administrative personnel has become an emerging concern in Chinese higher education institutions, particularly under ongoing governance reform and performance-oriented management systems. While existing studies have predominantly focused on faculty burnout, limited empirical attention has been given to administrative staff, who play a critical role in institutional operations. This study examines the relationship between educational management factors and occupational burnout among administrative personnel in Chinese higher education institutions. Drawing upon the Job Demands – Resources model and Maslach’s three-dimensional burnout framework, the study investigates five key management dimensions: workload, organizational support, leadership style, career development opportunities, and job autonomy. A mixed-method approach was employed, including a questionnaire survey of 127 administrative personnel and in-depth interviews with five key informants. The reliability of the instrument was confirmed with a Cronbach’s alpha coefficient of 0.85. The findings indicate that educational management factors are significantly associated with occupational health status. Among the examined dimensions, job autonomy and leadership style demonstrate the strongest positive relationship with reduced burnout levels, while workload and organizational support show comparatively weaker but still meaningful effects. The results highlight the importance of balancing managerial demands and organizational resources in Chinese higher education contexts. The study provides empirical evidence for optimizing educational management practices to enhance administrative personnel’s occupational well-being and institutional sustainability.