The Mediating Role of Job Security in the Relationship between Compensation, Workplace Relationships, Work Environment, and Faculty Retention in Tourism Higher Education

Abstract

Faculty retention has become a critical challenge for higher education institutions, particularly in the tourism education sector, where retaining qualified academic staff is essential for maintaining educational quality and institutional sustainability. Despite extensive research on employee retention, the role of job security as a mediating mechanism between organizational factors and faculty retention remains insufficiently understood. Therefore, this study examines the mediating role of job security in the relationships between compensation, workplace relationships, work environment, and faculty retention in tourism higher education.The study addresses the following research questions: (1) Do compensation, workplace relationships, and work environment influence faculty retention? (2) Do these factors affect job security? and (3) Does job security mediate the relationships between compensation, workplace relationships, work environment, and faculty retention?A quantitative research design was employed using survey data collected from 99 respondents through purposive sampling. The data were analyzed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) to assess both the measurement and structural models.The findings reveal that compensation, workplace relationships, and work environment significantly influence faculty retention. Workplace relationships and work environment also have significant positive effects on job security. However, compensation does not significantly affect job security, and job security does not significantly influence faculty retention. Furthermore, the indirect effect analysis indicates that job security does not mediate the relationships between compensation, workplace relationships, work environment, and faculty retention. The model demonstrates substantial explanatory power, with R² values of 0.870 for faculty retention and 0.905 for job security.This study contributes to the faculty retention literature by demonstrating that, within the context of tourism higher education, faculty retention is driven more by workplace relationships and work environment than by perceptions of job security. The findings challenge the conventional assumption that job security is a primary mechanism underlying retention decisions and provide valuable insights for higher education leaders seeking to develop effective faculty retention strategies.