When Productivity Fails to Enhance Satisfaction: Appointment Type and Research Well-Being in China’s Dual-Track Academic System

In this study, we draw on the job demands-resources (JD-R) model and career stage theory to examine how faculty appointment type is linked to research satisfaction in China’s dual-track academic system. Survey data from 359 faculty members at two comparable public research universities show that tenure-track faculty report higher research productivity but lower research satisfaction than their counterparts in officially budgeted posts. Research productivity partially mediates this relationship but does not fully offset the pressures associated with performance-based appointments. Career tenure also does not significantly moderate this relationship, suggesting that standardised evaluation regimes may weaken expected career-stage differences. These findings reveal a misalignment between measurable performance and academic well-being in productivity-oriented employment systems. From a faculty sustainability perspective, the results underscore the need for governance arrangements that balance research expectations with conditions that sustain long-term academic well-being.