A Performance Improvement Model of Discipline Leaders in Higher Vocational Colleges in Shandong Province
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.48048/asi.2027.32Keywords:
Vocational education, Self-efficacy, Organizational support, Work performanceAbstract
The rapid transformation of China’s vocational education system, driven by national initiatives such as the “Double High Plan,” has significantly elevated the strategic role of discipline leaders in higher vocational colleges. Despite these expectations, many discipline leaders face challenges in managing expanded responsibilities, developing essential competencies, and accessing sufficient organizational support, resulting in performance gaps. This study investigates the determinants of discipline leaders’ work performance in higher vocational colleges in Shandong Province. Grounded in Social Cognitive Theory and the Job Characteristics Model, a mixed-methods approach was employed. Quantitative data were collected from 470 valid respondents through structured questionnaires and analyzed using confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling. Qualitative insights were obtained from semi-structured focus group interviews and analyzed through thematic coding, with triangulation applied to enhance the robustness of the findings. The results reveal that job characteristics, competency, and organizational support significantly influence work performance both directly and indirectly through self-efficacy and team cohesiveness. These mediating variables play a central role in translating individual and organizational factors into performance outcomes. Furthermore, team feedback functions as a reinforcing mechanism, strengthening the effects of self-efficacy and team cohesiveness on performance. The study contributes to the literature by integrating individual, organizational, and team-level perspectives into a comprehensive performance model. Practically, the findings provide evidence-based guidance for improving job design, competency development, and organizational support systems to enhance leadership effectiveness in vocational education.
Highlights
• Job characteristics, competency, and organizational support significantly improved discipline leaders’ work performance.
• Self-efficacy and team cohesiveness partially mediated the effects of individual and organizational factors on performance.
• Frequent team feedback strengthened the effects of self-efficacy and team cohesiveness on work performance.
• The proposed model explained 67.8% of the variance in discipline leaders’ work performance.
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