The effect of perceived overqualification on career satisfaction job crafting and work alienation: The role of leader member exchange

The primary objective of this study is to analyze the effects of perceived overqualification on career satisfaction, job crafting, and work alienation levels among a sample of academic staff. In addition, the mediating role of leader–member exchange in the effect of perceived overqualification on the related variables was tested. Furthermore, within the scope of the research, it was examined whether the variables in question differed significantly based on the type of university at which the participants were employed. In this context, the perceived overqualification variable was included in the analysis with its subdimensions of 'perceived mismatch' and 'perceived lack of development,' while the job crafting variable was analyzed through its subdimensions of 'task crafting,' 'cognitive crafting,' and 'relational crafting'. The data for the study were collected through a survey administered to 409 academics working at public and foundation universities operating in the province of Antalya. The obtained data were analyzed using SPSS 27 and AMOS 22 software. For testing the research hypotheses and examining the potential mediating role of leader–member exchange in the relationships between variables, the PROCESS macro developed by Hayes was utilized. The findings of the study revealed that leader–member exchange plays a mediating role in the effects of the perceived mismatch and perceived lack of development dimensions on employees' career satisfaction, task crafting, cognitive crafting, relational crafting, and work alienation behaviors. Furthermore, it was concluded that employees' perceptions of job crafting, relational crafting, and work alienation differed significantly according to the type of university. The results indicate that members of foundation universities exhibit significantly higher levels of job crafting, relational crafting, and work alienation compared to employees at public universities.