International Journal of

ADVANCED AND APPLIED SCIENCES

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

Frequency: 12

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 Volume 13, Issue 5 (May 2026), Pages: 195-205

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 Original Research Paper

Meaningful work as a mediator between job satisfaction and employee engagement: Evidence from private college teachers in China

 Author(s): 

Liu Ruiqi 1, Tseren Ganbaatar 2, Altanchimeg Zanabazar 2, *, Davaasuren Bavuudorj 3

 Affiliation(s):

1Tourism Management Faculty, Jilin International Studies University, Changchun, Jilin, China
2Management Department, Business School, National University of Mongolia, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
3School of Economics and Business, Ulaanbaatar Erdem University, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia

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 * Corresponding Author. 

   Corresponding author's ORCID profile:  https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0467-4267

 Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

 
https://doi.org/10.21833/ijaas.2026.05.018

 Abstract

This study examines the mediating role of meaningful work in the relationship between job satisfaction and employee engagement among private college teachers in Shaanxi Province. A quantitative approach was adopted, and data were collected from 400 full-time faculty members using validated scales for job satisfaction, meaningful work, and employee engagement. The data were analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). The findings reveal that higher job satisfaction significantly enhances teachers’ perceptions of meaningful work, which in turn positively influences employee engagement. Meaningful work was found to partially mediate the relationship between job satisfaction and employee engagement. Additional analyses show that engagement varies according to tenure, declining during the first one to two years because of adjustment difficulties and burnout, but increasing over time as teachers develop stronger professional identity and organizational commitment. Teachers with higher educational qualifications place greater importance on meaningful work and career development opportunities. The study highlights the need for private colleges to address both material and psychological needs by promoting meaningful work, professional recognition, and value alignment to sustain long-term teacher engagement and improve teaching quality.

 © 2026 The Authors. Published by IASE.

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

 Keywords

Meaningful work, Job satisfaction, Employee engagement, Private higher education, Teacher engagement

 Article history

Received 12 January 2026, Received in revised form 16 May 2026, Accepted 19 May 2026

 Acknowledgment

The authors express their gratitude to each participant who willingly participated in this research. 

 Compliance with ethical standards

 Ethical considerations

This research considers private college teachers’ privacy. In the application, it is necessary to strictly abide by ethical standards to ensure that the rights and interests of the respondents are not harmed. When designing and implementing survey questionnaires, researchers should pay special attention to ethical issues such as privacy protection, voluntary participation, and data protection to enhance the legitimacy and morality of survey research. 

 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:

Ruiqi L, Ganbaatar T, Zanabazar A, and Bavuudorj D (2026). Meaningful work as a mediator between job satisfaction and employee engagement: Evidence from private college teachers in China. International Journal of Advanced and Applied Sciences, 13(5): 195-205

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