Systematic Literature Review on the Influence of University Leader Support and Professionalism Towards Academic Staff Well-being in China

This study aspires to formulate a model elucidating the impact of leader support on the well-being of Chinese university academic staff through prism of professionalism, which identifies the pertinent theories regarding four variables and summarizes the research findings on leader support, professionalism, and academic staff well-being. A theoretical framework that explains the interrelationships of the variables in this study has been developed based on the discussion. This study finds that: Leader support has significant relationship with professionalism. Furthermore, the study of leader support has revealed the importance of considering various dimensions, such as work-family issues, in assessing the impact of leader support on employees; The existing literature provides valuable insights into the impact of leader support on teacher well-being, but there is a clear call for more focused research to address the specific dynamics within academic settings. Research on the connection between academic staff well-being and leader support is scarce in Chinese universities; Professionalism and well-being are significant but are only now starting to be recognised in higher education. Furthermore, these insights underscore the need for institutions to prioritize the understanding and promotion of professionalism to support the well-being of academic staff; These earlier research has demonstrated that professionalism can act as a mediating factor. Regarding the current study, the importance of teachers' individual attitudes and their impact on traits like leadership and work satisfaction led to the use of their professionalism as a mediator. Additionally, there hasn't been any empirical research done on the role that teachers' professionalism plays as a mediator between the relationship between teacher well-being and support from leaders.