Perceived Organizational Support, Emotional Labor, and Professional Identity in Preschool Teachers: Moderating Role of Psychological Capital
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Abstract
Background and Aim: Preschool educators in China are experiencing increasing emotional and professional pressures due to ongoing educational reforms, relatively low occupational status, and the emotionally demanding nature of early childhood teaching. These challenges can negatively influence teachers’ professional identity, job satisfaction, and long-term commitment to the profession. Although previous studies have explored difficulties in early childhood education, limited research has examined how organizational and psychological resources jointly influence preschool teachers’ professional identity. Grounded in Conservation of Resources Theory and emotional labor theory, this study investigates the relationship between perceived organizational support (POS) and professional identity (PI) among preschool teachers in China. Specifically, the research examines the mediating role of emotional labor (EL) and the moderating role of psychological capital (PsyCap) in this relationship. The study aims to provide a deeper understanding of how institutional support and personal psychological resources interact to shape teachers’ professional development and well-being.
Materials and Methods: This study employed a quantitative cross-sectional survey design. A total of 928 preschool teachers from public and private kindergartens in Shandong Province participated in the research. Standardized measurement scales were used to assess perceived organizational support, emotional labor, psychological capital, and professional identity. All measurement instruments demonstrated high reliability, with Cronbach’s alpha coefficients exceeding 0.88 for each construct. Data analysis was conducted using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) and the PROCESS macro (Model 7) to test the proposed moderated mediation model. Bootstrap methods were applied to estimate indirect effects and interaction effects, ensuring the robustness and accuracy of the statistical analysis.
Results: The findings revealed that perceived organizational support significantly and positively predicted preschool teachers’ professional identity, indicating that stronger institutional support contributes to higher levels of professional recognition and commitment. In addition, perceived organizational support negatively predicted emotional labor, suggesting that supportive organizational environments help reduce emotional strain among teachers. Emotional labor was found to partially mediate the relationship between perceived organizational support and professional identity. Furthermore, psychological capital significantly moderated the indirect effect of emotional labor. The mediating effect of emotional labor was stronger among teachers with higher levels of psychological capital, demonstrating that individuals with greater optimism, resilience, confidence, and hope were better able to internalize organizational support and manage emotional demands effectively. These findings support a resource-interaction framework in which both external organizational resources and internal psychological resources jointly influence professional identity formation.
Conclusion: This study concludes that organizational support plays a critical role in enhancing preschool teachers’ professional identity, both directly and indirectly through the reduction of emotional labor. Psychological capital further strengthens this relationship by enabling teachers to make more effective use of available support resources. The findings highlight the importance of developing supportive institutional environments while simultaneously fostering teachers’ psychological resilience and positive psychological capacities. The study provides valuable implications for early childhood education policy and management by emphasizing the need for integrated strategies that support both organizational systems and individual teacher well-being.
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