The findings are particularly relevant as university lecturers face increasingly demanding responsibilities. Beyond classroom teaching, lecturers are expected to conduct research, publish scientific papers, supervise students, participate in community service, develop curricula, and complete administrative duties. These overlapping responsibilities often blur the boundaries between professional and personal life.
In recent years, universities have also experienced growing pressure to improve academic quality, achieve accreditation targets, embrace digital learning, and compete internationally. As a result, many lecturers spend extended hours working beyond regular schedules, leaving less time for family, recreation, and recovery. When sustained over time, these conditions can lead to emotional exhaustion and chronic job stress.
To better understand these challenges, Khasanah developed an integrated research model examining the relationships among work–life balance, burnout, organizational support, and lecturers’ job stress. Unlike previous studies that primarily focused on direct relationships, this research explains how work–life balance influences stress through burnout while also examining how organizational support strengthens these relationships.
The study employed a quantitative explanatory survey involving 250 university lecturers. Data were analyzed using Path Analysis, enabling the researcher to identify both direct and indirect relationships among the variables. This approach provided a more comprehensive understanding of how personal and organizational factors interact to shape lecturers' occupational well-being.
The results demonstrate that lecturers who maintain better work–life balance experience significantly lower levels of burnout. The relationship was statistically strong, with a path coefficient of β = -0.618, indicating that improved work–life balance substantially reduces emotional exhaustion.
The research also found that work–life balance directly lowers job stress, with a coefficient of β = -0.284. In practical terms, lecturers who successfully balance their professional and personal responsibilities are less likely to experience work-related stress.
Another major finding shows that burnout strongly increases job stress, with a coefficient of β = 0.571. This suggests that as emotional exhaustion rises, lecturers become considerably more vulnerable to occupational stress.
Furthermore, burnout acts as a mediating variable, explaining how work–life balance affects job stress. The indirect effect was measured at β = -0.353, meaning that much of the stress-reducing benefit of work–life balance occurs because it first minimizes burnout before lowering overall job stress.
The study also highlights the critical role of organizational support. Universities that provide supportive leadership, transparent communication, fair policies, recognition for lecturers’ contributions, and adequate workplace resources can significantly weaken the negative effects of poor work–life balance on both burnout and job stress.
Statistical analysis revealed that organizational support significantly moderates the relationship between work–life balance and burnout (β = -0.214) as well as between work–life balance and job stress (β = -0.187). Additional analyses further showed that when organizational support is strong, the indirect effect of work–life balance on stress through burnout becomes even smaller. This finding suggests that supportive institutional environments serve as a protective factor for lecturers’ psychological well-being.
According to Khasanah, reducing lecturers’ job stress requires more than simply lowering workloads. Universities should also implement policies that promote work–life balance, establish burnout prevention programs, and cultivate organizational cultures that prioritize employee well-being. Such strategies are expected to improve teaching quality, research productivity, the implementation of the Tri Dharma of Higher Education, and the long-term sustainability of academic institutions.
The study also makes a valuable contribution to higher education management by integrating three major theoretical frameworks: Conservation of Resources (COR) Theory, Job Demands–Resources (JD–R) Theory, and Perceived Organizational Support (POS) Theory. Together, these frameworks provide a more comprehensive explanation of how individual, psychological, and organizational factors interact to influence lecturers’ occupational well-being. The proposed model offers a useful evidence-based foundation for universities seeking to develop policies that support faculty welfare.
Looking ahead, the researcher recommends that universities adopt fair workload distribution systems, expand counseling and mental health services, provide stress management training, and strengthen participatory leadership practices. Future research is also encouraged to involve lecturers from a wider range of public and private universities across different regions and countries to improve the generalizability of the findings.
Author Profile
Khasanah is an academic affiliated with Asia Cyber University, specializing in higher education management, organizational behavior, lecturer well-being, work–life balance, burnout, and occupational stress. Through this study, the author developed an integrated framework explaining how personal, psychological, and organizational factors jointly influence lecturers’ workplace well-being.
Research Source
Article Title: Work–Life Balance and Lecturer Job Stress: The Mediating Role of Burnout and the Moderating Role of Organizational Support
Author: Khasanah
Affiliation: Asia Cyber University
Journal: International Journal of Applied and Scientific Research (IJASR), Vol. 4, No. 6, 2026, pp. 357–376.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.59890/ijasr.v4i6.251
Official Journal URL: https://nvlmultitechpublisher.my.id/index.php/ijasr/index
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