The relationship between the quality of work life and self-efficacy with the mediating role of job involvement among the librarians of public university libraries in Isfahan

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

• Fatemeh Mohammadsharifi ¹
• Ahmad Shabani ²
• Saeed Rajaeepour ³
• Morteza Mohammadi Ostani ⁴

¹ M.A. in Knowledge and Information Science, University of Isfahan, Isfahan, Iran

² Professor, Department of Knowledge and Information Science, University of Isfahan, Isfahan, Iran

³ Associate Professor, Department of Education Science, University of Isfahan, Isfahan, Iran

⁴ Assistant Professor, Department of Knowledge and Information Science, University of Isfahan, Isfahan, Iran

10.22067/infosci.2025.94403.1243

Abstract

Introduction: Quality of work life is a comprehensive program that enhances satisfaction, fosters organizational learning, and supports employee’s growth and development. Like other organizations, libraries and information centers require efficient, effective, and high-quality human resources to deliver services and achieve their objectives. Librarians should receive supported for their mental and psychological needs whitin the organization. Psychologists suggest that addressing these needs requires attention to the quality of work life, which in turn increases library productivity and improves user satisfaction. Moreover, factors such as self-efficacy and job involvement also influence the quality of work life among librarians, and neglecting these factors may create challenges for libraries. Therefore, the aim of the present study is to examine the relationship between quality of work life and self-efficacy, with the mediating role of job involvement, among librarians in public university libraries in Isfahan
Methodology: This applied quantitative study employed a correlational design using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM). The statistical population comprised all librarians of public universities in Isfahan in 2024, including those from Isfahan University of Technology, the Art University of Isfahan, the University of Isfahan, and Isfahan University of Medical Sciences—a total of 101 librarians with at least one year of work experience. The sample size (80 librarians) was determined using the Krejcie and Morgan table and selected through stratified random sampling proportional to population size. Data were collected using three questionnaires: Walton’s (1973) Quality of Work Life, Schwarzer and Jerusalem’s (1991) Self-Efficacy Scale, and Kanungo’s (1982) Job Involvement questionnaire. The validity and reliability of the questionnaire were confirmed through face validity and Cronbach’s alpha, respectively. Data were analyzed using SPSS 26 and SmartPLS 24 software. The Kolmogorov–Smirnov test was applied to assess data normality, the KMO test to evaluate sample adequacy, and Bartlett’s test to confirm overall correlations among variables. Additionally, t-tests, Levene’s test, Pearson correlations, and one-way ANOVA were used to analyze relationships and test hypotheses.
 Findings: The findings showed that the self-efficacy level among librarians in Isfahan’s public university libraries was above average (3.94), indicating a favorable condition. However, job involvement and quality of work life were below the hypothetical average (3), suggesting less favorable conditions. Among the components of the quality of work life of librarians, "social relevance of life at work" had the highest mean, while "fair and adequate compensation" had the lowest. Overall, all the components except “work and total living space” and “fair and adequate compensation” scored above the hypothetical mean. The KMO and Bartlett tests confirmed the adequacy of the sample and the suitability of correlations among constructs. Also, the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test statistic indicated the normality of the data of the present study. The findings of the first hypothesis of the study were confirmed, based on the existence of a relationship between the quality of work life and job involvement of librarians. The component of "career opportunities and security" alone explained 12% of the variance in librarians' self-efficacy. The findings of the second hypothesis of the study also indicated a significant positive correlation between job involvement and librarians' self-efficacy. The relationship between quality of work life and job involvement was also confirmed, with the component of "work and total living space" alone explaining 12% of the variance in job involvement among librarians. Also, the main hypothesis of the study that there is a relationship between quality of work life and self-efficacy with the mediating role of job involvement among librarians of university libraries in Isfahan was confirmed, and the proposed model and all of its path coefficients had a good fit according to the values ​​of ChiSqr/df, RMSEA, NFI, TLI, and CFI indexes.
Discussion and Conclusion: Designing and implementing programs to improve the quality of work life—such as providing positive feedback, ensuring fairness in task distribution and rewards, and involving librarians in decision-making—should be viewed not as a cost but as a strategic investment in organizational development. Enhancing the quality of work life fosters a better work environment, strengthens self-efficacy, and increases job involvement, which ultimately boosts user engagement and library utilization. Library managers can nurture self-efficacy by creating supportive work conditions, recognizing positive performance, protecting librarians from excessive supervision, and mitigating stress and anxiety. Investing in the quality of work life and self-efficacy development is, therefore, an investment in improving librarian engagement and the overall quality of library services.
Originality/Value: The quality of work life of librarians is influenced by several interrelated factors that must be considered to enhance workplace well-being. Examining the quality of work life alongside self-efficacy and job involvement provides an original and valuable contribution, as this combined focus has received little prior attention. Another novel aspect of this study is its clarification and modeling of the mediating mechanism—job involvement—linking tangible capital (quality of work life) and psychological capital (self-efficacy) to desirable organizational outcomes among librarians.

Keywords

• Quality of work life
• Self-efficacy
• Job involvement
• University librarians
• State universities

Main Subjects

• Academic Libraries

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