Secure-base leadership, job embeddedness, and intention to quit among Chinese physical education faculty

Background Growing concerns about occupational health in academia underscore the importance of identifying relational and institutional resources that are associated with lower levels of educator disengagement and turnover-related withdrawal cognitions. Physical education faculty in Chinese higher education often face structural marginalization and limited institutional support, which may increase vulnerability to disengagement. Although leadership has been identified as a potential protective factor, the role of secure-base leadership in educational contexts remains underexplored. Purpose This study examines whether secure-base leadership is positively associated with job embeddedness among Chinese physical education faculty and whether job embeddedness is associated with the relationship between leadership and intention to quit, conceptualized as a form of turnover-related withdrawal cognition. Job embeddedness is examined through its three dimensions—fit, links, and sacrifice—as a relational mechanism relevant to faculty retention. Methods A three-wave panel design was employed with physical education faculty from Chinese universities. Secure-base leadership was measured at Time 1, job embeddedness at Time 2, and intention to quit at Time 3. Mediation analyses were conducted using PROCESS (Model 4), controlling for relevant demographic variables. Results Secure-base leadership was negatively associated with intention to quit. This association was partially accounted for by all three dimensions of job embeddedness. Faculty perceiving higher levels of psychological safety and motivational support reported stronger institutional fit, more robust relational ties, and greater perceived costs associated with leaving. Implications The findings highlight secure-base leadership as a relational resource that is positively associated with job embeddedness and inversely associated with early withdrawal cognitions among faculty in structurally vulnerable academic roles. Strengthening leader–faculty relationships may support retention processes and contribute to healthier, more sustainable academic environments in higher education.