The impact of family-friendly practices on the organizational commitment of female faculty in Chinese universities: the mediating roles of work-family balance and career well-being

Based on the resource conservation theory, the present research investigates how family-friendly practices are associated with the organizational commitment of women teaching at universities in Shandong Province, China, and considers work-family balance and career well-being as parallel mediators. A quantitative design was employed, with data gathered through a structured questionnaire. Five hundred and sixty-two female teachers from Shandong universities took part in the survey. Results show that: female teachers differ markedly in their levels of organizational commitment; family-friendly practices are significantly positively associated with faculty organizational commitment, work-family balance, and career well-being; both work-family balance and career well-being are positively related to faculty organizational commitment; work-family balance partially transmits the effect of family-friendly practices on faculty organizational commitment; and career well-being likewise plays a partial mediating role in this linkage. These findings provide empirical support for the application of conservation of resources theory in higher education contexts and offer practical insights for universities seeking to enhance female faculty commitment through supportive institutional practices.