Professional identity and job performance among vocational education teachers, a chain mediation model of leader, member exchange and self-efficacy, with job crafting as a moderator

PurposeThis research explores the effect of professional identity (PI) on the job performance (JP) of vocational education and training (VET) teachers, with a particular focus on the sequential mediation effects of leader-member exchange (LMX) and self-efficacy (SE). It also explores the role of job crafting (JC) as a moderator of these sequential mediation effects.MethodA questionnaire using a Likert scale was designed and distributed to 2,392 teachers from six vocational colleges in China. Correlation analysis and moderated mediation analysis were performed using SPSS 20.0 and AMOS 22.0 to test the hypotheses.ResultsPI, SE, LMX and JP were significantly correlated (p < 0.05). PI had a significant positive impact on JP. Further, LMX and SE were sequential mediators between PI and JP, with SE having a greater impact on the indirect effect than LMX. Finally, JC significantly moderated the sequential mediation effect (PI → LMX → SE → JP); however, it did not significantly moderate the simple mediation effect (PI → LMX → JP).ConclusionPI has a direct and indirect effect on the JP of VET teachers. The indirect effect is mediated by a sequential mediation pathway (LMX and SE). Moreover, JC serves as a boundary condition that moderates specific pathways of the sequential mediation process (PI → LMX → SE → JP), demonstrating a pathway-specific and constraining moderating effect.