1
Department of Educational Sciences, Payam-e Noor University, Tehran, Iran.
2
Department of Educational Sciences, Payame Noor University, tehran. Iran.
10.22098/j9032.2026.20152.1069
Abstract
This study investigated the relationship between job stress and career aspirations, with a focus on the mediating role of management styles among employees of the Department of Education in Bojnurd, Iran. The research adopted an applied purpose and a descriptive-correlational research design. The statistical population consisted of 321 employees of the Bojnurd Department of Education. Using Morgan’s table, a sample size of 175 participants was selected through stratified random sampling based on gender. Data collection instruments included the Osipow Job Stress Questionnaire (1987), the Begliardi et al. Career Aspirations Questionnaire (2005), and the Dehghani Management Styles Questionnaire (2014). The content validity of the instruments was verified, and reliability was assessed using Cronbach’s alpha, yielding values of .792 for job stress, .795 for career aspirations, and .698 for management styles, all indicating acceptable reliability. Data were analyzed using SPSS (v.23) and SmartPLS (v.2) through structural equation modeling (SEM), confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), and the Mann-Whitney U test. The results confirmed a significant relationship between job stress and career aspirations. Furthermore, management styles were found to act as a significant mediator in this relationship. Specifically, the findings indicated that authoritarian, benevolent, and participative management styles each play a distinct mediating role in the relationship between job stress and career aspirations among the staff. Management styles significantly influence how job stress impacts employees’ career aspirations. Enhancing leadership approaches particularly by fostering participative styles can serve as a crucial intervention to mitigate the negative effects of job stress and better support the career development of educational staff.
Ajam, A. A. and Soleimani, T. (2025). The Relationship between Job Stress and Career Aspirations: The Mediating Role of Management Styles among Employees of the Department of Education. A Review of Theorizing of Behavioral Sciences, 2(4), -. doi: 10.22098/j9032.2026.20152.1069
MLA
Ajam, A. A. , and Soleimani, T. . "The Relationship between Job Stress and Career Aspirations: The Mediating Role of Management Styles among Employees of the Department of Education", A Review of Theorizing of Behavioral Sciences, 2, 4, 2025, -. doi: 10.22098/j9032.2026.20152.1069
HARVARD
Ajam, A. A., Soleimani, T. (2025). 'The Relationship between Job Stress and Career Aspirations: The Mediating Role of Management Styles among Employees of the Department of Education', A Review of Theorizing of Behavioral Sciences, 2(4), pp. -. doi: 10.22098/j9032.2026.20152.1069
CHICAGO
A. A. Ajam and T. Soleimani, "The Relationship between Job Stress and Career Aspirations: The Mediating Role of Management Styles among Employees of the Department of Education," A Review of Theorizing of Behavioral Sciences, 2 4 (2025): -, doi: 10.22098/j9032.2026.20152.1069
VANCOUVER
Ajam, A. A., Soleimani, T. The Relationship between Job Stress and Career Aspirations: The Mediating Role of Management Styles among Employees of the Department of Education. A Review of Theorizing of Behavioral Sciences, 2025; 2(4): -. doi: 10.22098/j9032.2026.20152.1069
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