Investigating the Mediating Role of Organizational Culture in the Organizational Commitment–Teacher Autonomy–Work Ethics Nexus among Higher Education Teachers: A SEM Approach

This study develops and validates a structural model examining the interplay between organizational culture, organizational commitment, teacher autonomy, and work ethics among higher education faculty in India. Using survey data from 524 faculty members, the research employs confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and structural equation modeling (SEM) to test direct and mediated relationships among the four constructs. Findings reveal that teacher autonomy and organizational commitment exert significant positive influences on work ethics, while organizational culture shows no direct effect. However, organizational culture partially mediates the relationship between organizational commitment and work ethics, accounting for 13.31% of the total effect, whereas no mediation is observed between teacher autonomy and work ethics. Path analysis further establishes that both teacher autonomy and organizational commitment positively shape organizational culture. The overall model demonstrates a good fit across absolute, incremental, and parsimony indices, confirming its robustness. The study highlights the importance of fostering autonomy-supportive environments and strengthening organizational commitment to enhance faculty work ethics, with organizational culture serving as a reinforcing mechanism. The findings contribute to higher education management literature and offer practical implications for institutional reforms, faculty development programs, and policy frameworks aimed at promoting ethical practices and sustainable academic environments.