Interpersonal communication competence, organizational climate, and academic burnout: examining indirect associations within the job demands–resources framework

Aim This study examined associations among organizational climate, interpersonal communication competence, and academic burnout among university faculty within the Job Demands–Resources framework, with particular attention to the indirect association involving communication competence. Methods Cross-sectional survey data were obtained from 406 full-time faculty members in the Gainesville, Florida region of the United States. PLS-SEM analyses were conducted using SmartPLS 4. The model was assessed using a two-stage Mode A PLS-SEM procedure with 5,000 bootstrap resamples and percentile 95% confidence intervals. First-order organizational climate and burnout dimensions were assessed before their scores were used at the higher-order level; interpersonal communication competence was modeled reflectively using 10 items. Results Organizational climate was positively associated with interpersonal communication competence ( β = 0.399, p < 0.001). Organizational climate ( β = −0.416, p < 0.001) and communication competence ( β = −0.327, p < 0.001) were negatively associated with academic burnout. The indirect association was also statistically significant ( β = −0.131, 95% CI [−0.175, −0.091]).