Psychological Capital and its Relationship with Quality of Work Life among University Faculty Members
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.59992/IJESA.2026.v5n2p5Keywords:
Psychological Capital, Quality of Work Life, Faculty MembersAbstract
Objectives: This study examined the level of psychological capital among university faculty members and its relationship with quality of work life within the context of the contemporary academic work environment. It also aimed to identify the relative contribution of psychological capital dimensions to quality of work life, as well as to explore differences according to selected demographic and professional variables.
Methodology: A descriptive correlational design was employed due to its suitability for the study objectives. Data were collected using the Psychological Capital Questionnaire (PCQ) and a Quality of Work Life Scale, both of which demonstrated acceptable validity and reliability indicators.
Sample: The study sample consisted of 160 faculty members from various academic ranks and disciplines across universities.
Measures: Psychological capital was measured across four dimensions: self-efficacy, hope, optimism, and resilience. Quality of work life was assessed through dimensions related to work environment, institutional support, professional growth, and job satisfaction.
Results: The results indicated that faculty members exhibited high levels of psychological capital and a generally high level of quality of work life. A strong, statistically significant positive correlation was found between psychological capital and quality of work life. Among the dimensions of psychological capital, self-efficacy and resilience emerged as the most influential predictors of quality of work life. The findings also revealed that academic work pressures were more negatively perceived among individuals with lower psychological capital, whereas higher psychological resources were associated with better occupational adjustment and greater job satisfaction.
References
أولاً: المراجع العربية:
• أحمد، جنان شهاب. (2017). العلاقة بين رأس المال النفسي الإيجابي والارتجال التنظيمي في إطار السلوك الريادي للعاملين في المؤسسات التعليمية: دراسة مسحية لآراء أعضاء الهيئة التدريسية لجامعة أهل البيت (ع). رسالة ماجستير غير منشورة، جامعة كربلاء، العراق.
• أبوسيف، محمود سيد علي. (2018). دور جودة حياة العمل في العلاقة بين رأس المال النفسي ومستوى الالتزام التنظيمي لدى أعضاء هيئة التدريس بكلية التربية في جامعة الطائف بالمملكة العربية السعودية. مجلة كلية التربية بالمنصورة، 101(2)، 611– 665.https://doi.org/10.21608/MAED.2018.174608
• اسماعيل، هبة حسين. (2019). رأس المال النفسي وعلاقته بأساليب مجابهة الضغوط لدى معلمي التربية الخاصة. مجلة البحث العلمي في الآداب، 20(4)، 72.https://search.shamaa.org/fullrecord?ID=259688
• السويفي، عبير مختار. (2017). أثر العدالة التنظيمية على رأس المال النفسي: دراسة تطبيقية على أعضاء هيئة التدريس ومعاونيهم بجامعة الأزهر – فرع أسيوط. المجلة العلمية للاقتصاد والتجارة، 47(4)، 145–172.
• السيد، عايدة سيد معوض. (2018). دراسة تأثير جودة الحياة الوظيفية على رأس المال النفسي: دراسة تطبيقية على القطاع المصرفي الحكومي في جمهورية مصر العربية. المجلة العلمية للاقتصاد والتجارة -جامعة عين شمس – كلية التجارة، 2(ج)، 309–374.https://doi.org/10.21608/JSEC.2018.39072
• العبدلي، رزان، والمحمدي، إيمان. (2024). الخصائص السيكومترية للنسخة العربية لمقياس جودة الحياة الوظيفية لدى عينة من الأخصائيين النفسيين والاجتماعيين بمنطقة مكة المكرمة. المجلة العلمية لكلية الآداب -جامعة أسيوط، (عدد خاص)، 433–490.https://aakj.journals.ekb.eg/article_399156.html
• العساف، عهود فهد سيف. (2023). درجة رأس المال النفسي لدى المعلمين الدارسين بدبلوم الاستثمار الأمثل بمحافظة بيشة من وجهة نظرهم في ضوء بعض المتغيرات. دراسات عربية في التربية وعلم النفس، 147(2)، 421–470.https://saep.journals.ekb.eg/article_354367.html
• الجماعي، عبدالعالم محمد، والسنباني، توفيق مصلح. (2024). أثر جودة الحياة الوظيفية في رأس المال النفسي. مجلة جامعة صنعاء للعلوم الإنسانية، 3(6)، 503–527.
• الحارثي، صبحي بن سعيد. (2020). رأس المال النفسي وعلاقته بالرضا الوظيفي واليقظة العقلية لدى معلمي ومعلمات ذوي الإعاقة. مجلة جامعة القصيم: العلوم التربوية والنفسية، 13(1)، 1–30.https://jeps.qu.edu.sa/index.php/jep/article/view/2451
• شهري، عبد الرحمن سالم. (2021). الخصائص السيكومترية لمقياس رأس المال النفسي واختبار أبنيته. مجلة العلوم التربوية والدراسات الإنسانية -جامعة الملك خالد، 2(2)، 85–114.
• صديق، سهير شاكر. (2021). تأثير رأس المال النفسي الإيجابي في جودة الحياة الوظيفية. مجلة ريادة الأعمال للتمويل والأعمال، 2(1)، 125–139.
ثانيا: المراجع الأجنبية:
• Albrecht, Simon L. (2010). Handbook of employee engagement: Perspectives, issues, research and practice. Edward Elgar Publishing.
• Avey, James B., Reichard, Rebecca J., Luthans, Fred, & Mhatre, Ketan H. (2011). Meta-analysis of the impact of positive psychological capital on employee attitudes, behaviors, and performance. Human Resource Development Quarterly, 22(2), 127–152.
• Bandura, Albert (1997). Self-efficacy: The exercise of control. W.H. Freeman.
• Bargsted, M., Ramírez-Vielma, R., & Yeves, J. (2019). Professional self-efficacy and job satisfaction: The mediator role of work design. Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology, 35(3), 157–163. https://doi.org/10.5093/jwop2019a18.
• Baron, Robert A., Franklin, Roger J., & Hmieleski, Kevin M. (2016). Why entrepreneurs often experience low, not high, levels of stress: The joint effects of selection and psychological capital. Journal of Management, 42(3), 742–768.
• Carver, C. S., Scheier, M. F., & Segerstrom, S. C. (2010). Optimism. Clinical Psychology Review, 30(7), 879–889. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cpr.2010.01.006.
• Dorius, S., Tandberg, D., & Cram, B. (2017). Accounting for institutional variation in expected returns to higher education. Education Policy Analysis Archives, 25, Article 110. https://doi.org/10.14507/epaa.25.3238.
• Erden, Hale (2025). The influence of teachers’ psychological capital on quality of work life: Exploring the mediating impact of emotions. Teaching and Teacher Education.
• Gawke, Jan C., Gorgievski, Marjan J., & Bakker, Arnold B. (2017). Employee intrapreneurship and work engagement: A latent change score approach. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 100, 88–100.
• Ghimire, B., Karki, D., Dahal, R. K., & Joshi, S. P. (2024). The impact of psychological capital on faculty motivation in higher education institutions of Nepal: A cross-sectional study. The Journal of Business and Management, 8(2), 36–49. https://doi.org/10.3126/jbm.v8i2.76125.
• Halat, D. H., Soltani, A., Dalli, R., Alsarraj, L., & Malki, A. (2023). Understanding and fostering mental health and well-being among university faculty: A narrative review. Journal of Clinical Medicine, 12(13), 4425. https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm12134425.
• Luthans, Fred, Avolio, Bruce J., Avey, James B., & Norman, Steven M. (2007). Positive psychological capital: Measurement and relationship with performance and satisfaction. Personnel Psychology, 60(3), 541–572. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1744-6570.2007.00083.x*
• Luthans, Fred, Youssef, Carolyn M., & Avolio, Bruce J. (2007). Psychological capital: Developing the human competitive edge. Oxford University Press.
• Ma, Yanfang (2023). Boosting teacher work engagement: The mediating role of psychological capital through emotion regulation. Frontiers in Psychology. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1240943.
• Martel, Jean-Pierre, & Dupuis, Gilles (2006). Quality of work life: Theoretical and methodological problems, and presentation of a new model and measuring instrument. Social Indicators Research, 77(2), 333–368.
• Masten, Ann S., & Reed, Marie G. (2012). Resilience in development. In C. R. Snyder & S. J. Lopez (Eds.), Handbook of positive psychology (pp. 74–88). Oxford University Press.
• Mulder, P. (2024). Snyder’s Hope Theory: The basics and elements. Toolshero. https://www.toolshero.com/personal-development/snyders-hope-theory/.
• Newman, Alexander, Ucbasaran, Deniz, Zhu, Fang, & Hirst, Giles (2014). Psychological capital: A review and synthesis. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 35(S1), S120–S138.
• Nogueira, C. S., & de Jesus, J. G. (2025). Ethical-organizational challenges and the repercussions on the health of federal higher education institution employees. Revista Brasileira de Medicina do Trabalho, 23(1). https://doi.org/10.47626/1679-4435-2025-1403.
• Omar, S., Aslam, M. Z., Abu Bakar, R., Tajudeen, F. P., & Khan, M. A. (2024). The power of positivity: Examining psychological capital, work happiness, and rumination effects on performance among non-academic university staff in Malaysia. Cogent Education, 11(1), 2428873. https://doi.org/10.1080/2331186X.2024.2428873.
• Owidii, S. O., Lyanda, J. N., Okono, E. O., & Micheni, E. M. (2025). The dark side of generative AI in higher education: Challenges, ethical concerns, and implications. East African Journal of Arts and Social Sciences, 8(3). https://doi.org/10.37284/eajass.8.3.3690.
• Paiva, Ana, Gonçalves, Sofia P., & Morgado, José (2024). Psychological capital and well-being: An opportunity for teachers' well-being? Scoping review of the scientific literature in psychology and educational sciences. Acta Psychologica, 248, 104370. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actpsy.2024.104370.
• Palos, R., Samfira, E. M., Virga, D., & Purić, D. (2023). The core self-evaluations, psychological capital, and academic engagement: A cross-national mediation model. Frontiers in Psychology, 14, Article 1189665. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1189665.
• Saberfarzam, H., Reshadatjoo, H., & Ghourchian, N. (2022).
The relationship between the quality of work-life, psychological capital, and job performance: A study on health researchers. Payesh (Health Monitor), 21(4), 377–384. https://doi.org/10.52547/payesh.21.4.377.
• Sameer, Yousaf M. (2018). Innovative behavior and psychological capital: Does positivity make any difference? Journal of Economics and Management, 32, 75–101. https://doi.org/10.22367/jem.2018.32.06.
• Sirgy, M. Joseph, Efraty, David, Siegel, Paul, & Lee, Dong-Jin (2001). A new measure of quality of work life (QWL) based on need satisfaction and spillover theories. Social Indicators Research, 55(3), 241–302. https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1010986923468.
• Snyder, Charles R. (2002). Hope theory: Rainbows in the mind. Psychological Inquiry, 13(4), 249–275.
• Sutton, J. (2025,). Psychological capital: Unleashing the inner HERO’s potential. PositivePsychology.com. https://positivepsychology.com/psychological-capital/.
• Tian, F., Shu, Q., Cui, Q., Wang, L., Liu, C., & Wu, H. (2020). The mediating role of psychological capital in the relationship between occupational stress and fatigue: A cross-sectional study among 1,104 Chinese physicians. Frontiers in Public Health, 8, Article 12. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2020.00012.
• Walton, Richard E. (1973). Quality of working life: What is it? Sloan Management Review, 15(1), 11–21.
• Yavan Temizkan, Ö. (2019). Dimensions of psychological capital: A case study in Turkish hard coal enterprise.Trakya Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Dergisi, 21(2), 803–819. https://doi.org/10.26468/trakyasobed.560300
• Youssef, Carolyn M., & Luthans, Fred (2012). Positive global leadership. Journal of World Business, 47(4), 539–547.
• Zhang, L., Wider, W., Fauzi, M. A., Jiang, L., Tanuan, J. C. M., & Udang, L. N. (2024). Psychological capital research in HEIs: Bibliometric analysis of current and future trends. Heliyon, 10(4), e26607.
