International Journal of

ADVANCED AND APPLIED SCIENCES

EISSN: 2313-3724, Print ISSN: 2313-626X

Frequency: 12
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 Volume 12, Issue 4 (April 2025), Pages: 24-33

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 Original Research Paper

Examining the impact of after-hours work connectivity on job satisfaction in universities: An expectation confirmation theory perspective

 Author(s): 

 He Zhuoyu 1, 2, Sharifah Rahama Amirul 1, *, Ou Feng 3

 Affiliation(s):

 1Faculty of Business, Economics and Accountancy, Universiti Malaysia Sabah, Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia
 2Management School, Guangzhou College of Technology and Business, Guangzhou, China
 3Shatou Street Office of Panyu District People's Government, Guangzhou, China

 Full text

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 * Corresponding Author. 

  Corresponding author's ORCID profile: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2170-0124

 Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

 https://doi.org/10.21833/ijaas.2025.04.004

 Abstract

This study applies Expectation Confirmation Theory (ECT) to investigate work connectivity behavior after hours (WCBA) and its impact on job satisfaction among university teachers in Guangzhou, China. By analyzing data from 400 educators using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM), the research explores whether teachers' expectations align with their actual experiences and how this alignment influences job satisfaction. The findings reveal that while educators generally hold high expectations of WCBA, their experiences mostly match these expectations. However, a significant gap between expectations and reality negatively impacts job satisfaction, emphasizing the importance of managing expectations effectively, especially for those with high-intensity WCBA. Surprisingly, the initial hypothesis was not supported, as strong WCBA did not directly reduce job satisfaction. This study demonstrates a complex quantitative relationship between expectations, actual experiences of WCBA, and job satisfaction, highlighting the need for policies that address discrepancies between expectations and realities in after-hours work connectivity to enhance job satisfaction. The findings contribute valuable insights for future research and policy development.

 © 2025 The Authors. Published by IASE.

 This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).

 Keywords

 Work connectivity behavior, Job satisfaction, Expectation confirmation theory, Structural equation modeling, University educators

 Article history

 Received 15 November 2024, Received in revised form 28 March 2025, Accepted 7 April 2025

 Acknowledgment

No Acknowledgment.

 Compliance with ethical standards

 Ethical considerations

This study was conducted in accordance with the Academic Integrity Code of Universiti Malaysia Sabah. Informed consent was obtained from all participants, and their anonymity and voluntary participation were ensured.

 Conflict of interest: The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

 Citation:

 Zhuoyu H, Amirul SR, and Feng Q (2025). Examining the impact of after-hours work connectivity on job satisfaction in universities: An expectation confirmation theory perspective. International Journal of Advanced and Applied Sciences, 12(4): 24-33

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 Figures

 Fig. 1 Fig. 2 Fig. 3 

 Tables

 Table 1 Table 2 Table 3 Table 4 Table 5 

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