Link between university reputation and job satisfaction in public universities: testing the dual mediating effects of motivation and organizational climate

Purpose This study aims to investigate the relationship between university reputation and job satisfaction among academics while testing the dual mediating effect of motivation and organizational climate. Design/methodology/approach A total of 328 responses were gathered using the structured questionnaire. Partial least squares structural equation modeling was used to test the study’s hypotheses empirically. Findings University reputation positively influences job satisfaction both directly and indirectly through the parallel mediating effects of motivation and organizational climate. The dual mediation model explains 55.8% of the variance in job satisfaction. Practical implications University administrators should recognize that external reputation-building must be accompanied by internal investments in a supportive climate and motivation-enhancing practices to maximize academic staff satisfaction. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study to test and validate motivation and organizational climate as dual mediators in the reputation–satisfaction relationship in a non-Western higher education context, integrating social exchange theory with the job demands-resources framework.