Abstract
This research aimed to determine the direct effect of work support (WS) and family support (FS) on psychological safety (PS) and professional identity (PI), the direct effects of WS, FS, PS, and PI on job burnout (JB) among private university administrators in Qingdao and the mediating effects of PS and PI in the studied relationships. This research employed a quantitative and deductive approach. A sample of 350 administrators with more than five years of experience was selected through cluster sampling technique. Data were collected via self-administered questionnaires using the drop-off method and analyzed using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM). The findings showed that WS (_ = 0.597, p-value = 0.000) and FS (_ = 0.252, p-value = 0.000) had significant positive effects on PS. Both WS (_ = 0.434, p = 0.000) and FS (_ = 0.223, p = 0.000) also significantly and positively influenced PI. Furthermore, WS (_ = -0.275, p < 0.001), PS (_ = -0.262, p < 0.001), and PI (_ = -0.201, p < 0.001) had significant negative effects on JB, while FS (_ = -0.109, p = 0.071) showed no significant effect on JB. Moreover, both PS and PI significantly mediated the effect of WS (p-value < 0.05) and FS (p-value < 0.05) on JB. In conclusion, to mitigate job burnout, it is essential to enhance work and family support, psychological safety, and professional identity among administrators. In implication, the private universities should focus on creating an inclusive, supportive work environment, providing career development opportunities, recognizing employee contributions, and fostering a strong sense of professional identity among their administrators.