Understanding the Impact of Perceived Overqualification on Job Satisfaction: Exploring the Mediating Role of Job Crafting

The aim of this study was to analyze the impact of perceived over qualification (POQ) on job satisfaction (JSF), with mediating effect of job crafting (JC). Data were collected through survey questionnaire from 424 male and females’ governments’ schools teachers working in the Malakand Division of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. Data screening and descriptive statistics was performed through SPSS, while for confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling Smart PLS 4 was utilized. Results show that perceived qualification has a negative influence on job satisfaction. Furthermore, job crafting significantly mediates the relationship between perceived over qualification job satisfaction. These results suggest that job crafting alleviates the negative effects of POQ by enhancing job satisfaction. The research also underscored theoretical contributions and identified directions for future research endeavor.