Roles of Basic Psychological Need Satisfaction, Flourishing, and Systems Thinking in Indian University Faculty: A Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

This study examined the relationship between systems thinking, basic psychological need satisfaction, and flourishing among university teaching faculty. The study used a cross-sectional survey to collect data. The study examined the predictive role of systems thinking and the basic psychological needs (autonomy, competence, and relatedness) in flourishing. The findings show that systems thinking, competence, and relatedness were significant positive predictors of flourishing, whereas autonomy was a non-significant predictor. Together, the predictors explained 32% of the variance in flourishing. Findings highlight the importance of systems thinking and psychological need satisfaction to enhance faculty flourishing. The results found that competence, positive professional relationships, and enhancing systems thinking may contribute to higher levels of flourishing among university faculty. The study provides practical implications for faculty development initiatives and offers directions for future research by recommending the inclusion of additional psychological and organizational variables, longitudinal research designs, and broader institutional contexts to improve the understanding of flourishing in higher education.