Work alienation among young university teachers in China

Introduction Young university teachers in China often begin their careers under competitive employment arrangements that combine intensive teaching and research demands with uncertain prospects for long-term advancement. Methods Using cross-sectional survey data from 532 young university teachers in Chinese undergraduate institutions, this study examined how adverse job characteristics, background characteristics, and perceived organizational environment were associated with work alienation. Confirmatory factor analysis, measurement validation, integrated regression models, and moderation analyses were conducted. Results After institutional clustering was considered, lack of support and fairness, perceived busyness, and self-bias/perceived prejudice remained positively associated with work alienation, whereas the association for interpersonal strain and conflict was not robust. Perceived organizational environment was negatively associated with work alienation, but the proposed moderation was not supported. Discussion The findings identify associations between perceived work conditions, perceived organizational environment, and work alienation. Given the cross-sectional design, causal and temporal interpretations require longitudinal or experimental evidence.