Differentiated Adaptive Leadership–Motivation Model for Higher Education Teachers’ Well-being
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.21834/e-bpj.v11i37.7964Keywords:
Educational Leadership, Teacher Well-being, Higher Education Sustainability, Differentiated Adaptive Leadership–Motivation ModelAbstract
In China’s managerialist higher education context, academics’ well-being is affected by salary disparities, excessive non-teaching tasks, and research-biased evaluation. This qualitative case study explores how leadership support sustains motivation and well-being across career stages. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 21 academics, seven per career stage. Findings show that novice academics need competence support through instructional leadership; mid-career academics need relatedness through transformational leadership and professional learning communities; and senior teachers need autonomy, distributed leadership, and trust. The Differentiated Adaptive Leadership–Motivation Model highlights career-stage-adapted leadership for sustainable teacher well-being and for sustainability in higher education.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Hui Wei , Madhubala Bava Harji, Jun Feng Zhou
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