Teachers' professional journey: Charting achievement recognition, career adaptability, and task performance

The rapid technological advancement in higher education necessitates understanding the factors influencing university teachers' professional growth and task performance. This study investigates the relationships among Achievement Recognition, Career Adaptability, and Organizational Seniority, focusing on their impact on the task performance of Chinese university teachers. A longitudinal, time-lagged survey design was employed, collecting data from 1444 Chinese university teachers over three waves, each one month apart. The survey included Achievement Recognition, Career Adaptability, and Task Performance measures, with Organizational Seniority as a moderating variable. Achievement Recognition significantly predicted Career Adaptability. The interaction between career adaptability and organizational seniority was significant, indicating that the positive effect of career adaptability on task performance varied with levels of organizational seniority. Conditional Effects were substantial. Career Adaptability positively affected Work Performance for individuals with less than five years of seniority but had a weaker effect for those with 11–15 years and an adverse effect for those with >21 years of seniority. The indirect impact of Achievement Recognition on Work Performance through Career Adaptability was significant for newly employed workers but non-significant for experienced workers. The study underscores the importance of Achievement Recognition in enhancing Career Adaptability and, subsequently, Work Performance. The moderating role of Organizational Seniority suggests that interventions to boost Career Adaptability and Work Performance should be tailored to different career stages. Academic institutions should implement recognition programs, adaptability training, and mentorship schemes that consider faculty members' career stages to foster a high-performing, adaptable workforce.