The Role of HR and Key Drivers on Teacher Well-being in Cross-Cultural Workplaces

Abstract

With increasing globalization and information exchange, many schools are becoming internationalized, resulting in teachers from different countries working together in the same institution. This leads to cultural differences, communication styles, work values, and understandings of management. Consequently, cultural differences can cause discrepancies in salary expectations and unequal pay for equal work.
This study examined how school personnel management (such as recruitment, training, school corporate culture, award and punishments) and key support factors within the organization can make teachers happier and perform better in cross-cultural educational environments.
A quantitative research method was employed, using an online questionnaire distributed to 217 teachers. This questionnaire was designed to evaluate how teachers perceive their well-being within cross-cultural workplace environments.
After data collection, descriptive statistics were used to analyze the demographic characteristics of the sample. Correlation analysis was conducted to examine the relationships between teacher well-being and key organizational factors, including organizational support, training and professional development, compensation and benefits, performance appraisal, workplace environment, and work-life balance. The present research aimed to determine the key factors affecting teacher well-being and performance within cross-cultural workplace settings.
This study explored how human resource practices such as training and development and employee performance appraisal can enhance teachers’ passion for their work, social and professional well-being among colleagues, and how these well-beings affect teachers’ work performance and effectiveness. This study was based on Social Exchange Theory (SET) and Job Requirements-Resources Model (JD-R Model) and employed a quantitative survey approach.
The data were collected from teachers and human resources professionals in bilingual schools in Southeast Asia. The study found that leadership support, inclusive workplace culture, fair performance appraisal, and professional development training are the most important factors influencing teacher well-being and classroom engagement. These findings provide education administrators with real world survey data, helping them improve teacher retention, institutioal performance, teacher well-being, and cross-cultural collaboration in a globalized education environment.

Keywords: human resource management, teacher well-being, cross-cultural workplaces, performance, work-life balance