Interlinking professional skills, job satisfaction, and performance: a parallel mediation model of university counsellors

This study investigates the psychological mechanisms linking the professional skills of Chinese university counsellors to their job performance, addressing a critical gap regarding their unique dual roles as educators and administrators. Drawing upon Competency Theory and Herzberg’s Two-Factor Theory, a novel parallel mediation model was developed to unpack how skills translate into performance through the distinct pathways of intrinsic and extrinsic job satisfaction. Analysis of survey data utilizing a variance-based structural equation modeling approach reveals an asymmetric motivational structure: while professional skills positively influence both intrinsic and extrinsic satisfaction, only intrinsic satisfaction translates into enhanced job performance. Crucially, the parallel mediation analysis demonstrates that intrinsic satisfaction serves as the primary engine bridging skills and performance, whereas extrinsic satisfaction yields no such mediating effect. These findings provide novel theoretical insights into the limits of external hygiene factors in mission-driven educational roles. Practically, the study challenges traditional incentive models, suggesting that to cultivate excellence in high-stress higher education environments, policymakers must transcend basic extrinsic rewards and prioritize strategies that foster professional empowerment, role meaningfulness, and intrinsic fulfillment.