The Influencing Factors Affecting Happiness Working of College Counselors in Shangrao City, Jiangxi Province, China
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Abstract
This study examined the determinants of workplace happiness among college counselors in Shangrao City, Jiangxi Province, China. The objectives were to (1) assess the levels of organizational management, work engagement, work environment, professional identity, and personality traits among counselors; (2) analyze the influence of these organizational factors on workplace happiness; and (3) investigate the mediating role of professional identity and the moderating effects of Big Five personality traits. A quantitative-dominant mixed-methods design was employed, using data collected from 328 counselors across four universities through stratified random sampling. Validated instruments measured each construct, and data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation, and Structural Equation Modeling (SEM). Results indicated that all major variables were positively correlated with workplace happiness. Work engagement emerged as the strongest predictor (β = 0.376, p < .001), followed by work environment (β = 0.330, p < .001) and organizational management (β = 0.182, p < .05). The model explained 45.8% of the variance (R² = 0.458) and demonstrated acceptable fit indices (CFI = 0.883, TLI = 0.879, RMSEA = 0.048). Professional identity partially mediated the effects of organizational factors on workplace happiness, while conscientiousness and openness were the most significant personality moderators. The findings highlight that promoting work engagement, supportive environments, and professional identity development can enhance counselor happiness and organizational effectiveness. Implications suggest that higher-education institutions should implement identity-based training and personality-sensitive management strategies to sustain well-being among counseling staff.
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