Structural Analysis of the Relationship between Psychological Capital and Work-Family Conflict with the Professional Development of Faculty Members of Tabriz University of Medical Sciences

Abstract

Background. Professional development and increasing the knowledge and skills of professors are necessary for the success of the efforts made in terms of improving educational systems. Meanwhile, psychological capital and reducing work-family conflict play a constructive role in achieving these goals. The current study aimed to investigate the potential correlation between psychological capital and work-family conflict and professional development among faculty members at Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Iran. Methods. The current study employed a quantitative approach. The research method used was descriptive and correlational, utilizing structural equation modeling. The study focused on the faculty members of Tabriz University of Medical Sciences in 2022. According to the statistical resources, there were 793 faculty members at the university during the mentioned period. As per Morgan's table, the sample size consisted of 260 individuals. The instruments utilized to collect the required data were a professional development questionnaire of faculty members developed by Davarpanah (2018), Luthans et al.’s (2007) psychological capital questionnaire, and Carlson et al.’s (2000) work-family conflict questionnaire. To statistically analyze the research data, SPSS software (version 23) was first used to verify the normality of the studied variables. To calculate the correlation coefficients between them, AMOS version 23 was utilized. Results. According to the correlation matrix table, there was a significant correlation between professional development and psychological capital. Also, there was an inverse and significant correlation between work-family conflict and psychological capital, and there was a non-significant correlation between professional development and work-family conflict. The psychological capital coefficient of influence on professional development was 0.61, and work-family conflict had a -0.11 impact factor on professional development. Therefore, it can be stated that psychological capital has a significant relationship with professional development and work-family conflict has an inverse and significant relationship with professional development. The measurement models fit well based on the results of confirmatory factor analysis and assessment indices. The Cronbach's alpha value was 0.951. Conclusion. Based on the results of the current study, it is concluded that the psychological capital play a vital role in professional development of faculty members. Furthermore, work-family conflict may cause the negative and noteworthy consequences in association with professional development of faculty members.