Burnout in Suspension: Navigating the Waters of Performance Appraisal and Employee Retention in Private Colleges and Universities

Abstract

With the continuous advancement of Chinese-style modernization and the rapid development of higher education in China, private colleges and universities are facing serious teacher management challenges beneath the Chinese sense of suspended life. Based on burnout theory, this study explores the mechanism of performance appraisal on employee retention in private colleges and universities, focusing on the mediating role of compensation and benefits and employee empowerment. In this study, a questionnaire survey was conducted among 350 teachers in five private universities, and 270 valid samples were obtained. Descriptive statistics, correlation analysis and structural equation modeling (SEM) analysis were conducted using ADANCO software. It was found that: a) performance appraisal has a significant direct positive effect on employee retention; b) compensation and benefits play a partially mediating role between performance appraisal and employee retention, and reduce the risk of burnout by increasing teachers' sense of identification with and suspension to the organization; and c) employee empowerment plays a partially mediating role between performance appraisal and employee retention, and prevents burnout by enhancing teachers' sense of self-efficacy and job resources . This study provides three recommendations for private colleges and universities: optimize the performance appraisal system, improve compensation and benefit packages, and enhance employee empowerment management as a way to prevent teacher suspension burnout and improve employee retention. The findings enrich the theoretical framework of the relationship between performance appraisal and employee retention, and provide a theoretical basis for human resource management practices in private colleges and universities under suspension era.