Faculty Organizational Culture and Teacher Burnout in Chinese Universities: Role Conflict as a Mediator

Background and Aim: Teacher burnout in Chinese public universities, intensified by expansion and structural reforms, remains understudied in relation to decentralized faculty-level management systems and their manifestations, like emotional exhaustion. Faculty-level organizational culture traits significantly influence burnout through teaching-research role conflict mediation, with demographic variables like age and academic rank moderating these effects. This research aimed to examine the effects of organizational culture in university faculties on teacher burnout, with role conflict as a mediating factor, and to provide perspectives for enhancing the university environment. Materials and Methods: A mixed-methods approach was employed, combining quantitative surveys and qualitative interviews. The research sampled 333 faculty members and conducted 12 interviews with university administrators at Sichuan Normal University. The research utilized a modified questionnaire derived from the Denison Organizational Culture Survey (DOCS), the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI), and the Role Conflict and Ambiguity Scale (RCAS). Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, regression analysis, and mediation analysis for quantitative data. Thematic analysis was applied to qualitative data from interviews. Results: Multiple regression analysis revealed significant negative effects of faculty-level organizational culture dimensions (Mission: β = -0.73, p < 0.001; Involvement: β = -0.45, p < 0.001; Adaptability: β = -0.60, p < 0.001; Consistency: β = -0.58, p < 0.001) on burnout, with Mission and Involvement showing the strongest associations (R² = 0.62). Organizational culture explained 62% of the variance in burnout. Role conflict mediated this relationship significantly (indirect effect = -0.328, 95% CI [-0.387, -0.267]), explaining 64% of burnout variance (β = 0.71, p < 0.001). Demographic analyses identified higher burnout among early-career teachers (<5 years' experience), mid-career faculty (31–40 years), and junior/intermediate academic ranks. Descriptive statistics highlighted elevated Emotional Exhaustion (M = 2.68) and Cross-role Conflict (M = 2.55), while qualitative themes emphasized mission alignment, role clarity, and administrative efficiency as critical mitigation strategies. Conclusion: The results indicated that: 1) Organizational culture in university faculties has a significant direct effect on teacher burnout, particularly through Mission and Involvement dimensions.2) Role conflict significantly mediates the relationship between organizational culture and teacher burnout, where unclear expectations and workload imbalance exacerbate burnout. 3)Demographic factors (age, teaching experience, and academic rank) influence the relationship between organizational culture, role conflict, and burnout, with younger and less experienced faculty showing higher burnout levels. 4)Perspectives to enhance the university environment, identifying four key areas: Enhancing Teachers' Sense of Mission and Participation, Managing Role Conflict, Strengthening Teacher Support Systems, and Improving Administrative Efficiency.