Assessing Professors’ Mental Workload via Polychoric Correlations to Improve Working Conditions at ULEAM’s Bahía de Caráquez Extension Campus, Manabí

María Lía Mendoza Vera; Diana Rade-Loor; Verónica Bravo Santana; Álvaro Cañadas López

doi:10.53358/pted6r92

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Published: 2026-06-30

DOI: https://doi.org/10.53358/pted6r92

Keywords:

occupational stress, social responsibility, well-being, work environment, work organization

Mendoza, M.

Escuela Superior Politécnica Agropecuaria de Manabí Manuel Félix López , Escuela Superior Politécnica Agropecuaria de Manabí Manuel Félix López

Rade-Loor, D.

Escuela Superior Politécnica Agropecuaria de Manabí Manuel Félix López , Escuela Superior Politécnica Agropecuaria de Manabí Manuel Félix López , Simón Bolívar Andean University Games

Bravo Santana, V.

Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador

Cañadas-López, A.

Universidad Central del Ecuador

Abstract

Assessing professors’ mental workload is key to improving wellbeing and addressing contemporary technological and policy challenges. This research explores the dimensions of cognitive demand, task complexity, work pace, health consequences, and temporal organization at Bahía de Caráquez Extension Campus of Universidad Laica Eloy Alfaro de Manabí (ULEAM). All professors were surveyed, and polychoric correlations were applied to model the relationships between the dimensions of mental workload. Results showed that the time available for decision-making (S) is significantly (p<0.001) related and directly proportional to the time allocated to tasks (Q) and exhaustion at the end of the working day (N). Furthermore, shorter decision time (S) was associated with higher emotional exhaustion (M). These results allow us to reject the null hypothesis, revealing a significant mental workload among professors. Critical dimensions of mental exhaustion, such as health consequences and time management, were identified, with a high percentage of professors experiencing physical and emotional exhaustion and difficulties relaxing after work. A study limitation is its focus on a single institution, which limits the generalizability of the results. Nevertheless, it confirms significant stress factors requiring institutional intervention.

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Vol. 12 No. 23 (2026): Revista Ecos de la Academia

Section

Artículos sobre Educación y Psicología

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Author Biographies

Mendoza, M., Escuela Superior Politécnica Agropecuaria de Manabí Manuel Félix López, Escuela Superior Politécnica Agropecuaria de Manabí Manuel Félix López

María Lía Mendoza-Vera: es docente investigadora en la carrera de Administración Pública de la Escuela Superior Politécnica Agropecuaria de Manabí, con experiencia en docencia, investigación y vinculación. Su trabajo académico se orienta al análisis y fortalecimiento de los procesos de gestión organizacional en instituciones públicas y privadas. Posee experticia en liderazgo, gestión de proyectos, planificación estratégica, desarrollo del emprendimiento y cultura organizacional, áreas en las que ha participado en proyectos académicos y de asesoría institucional. Sus intereses investigativos incluyen el liderazgo estratégico, la innovación en la gestión pública y el mejoramiento del desempeño organizacional para el desarrollo sostenible.

Rade-Loor, D., Escuela Superior Politécnica Agropecuaria de Manabí Manuel Félix López, Escuela Superior Politécnica Agropecuaria de Manabí Manuel Félix López, Simón Bolívar Andean University Games

Diana Rade-Loor: es docente investigadora en la carrera de Administración Pública de la Escuela Superior Politécnica Agropecuaria de Manabí. Actualmente cursa un Doctorado en Administración Pública en la Universidad Andina Simón Bolívar. Su labor académica se enfoca en el análisis y fortalecimiento de la gestión pública y organizacional. Posee experiencia en gestión, gestión estratégica, emprendimiento y planificación estratégica, participando en actividades de docencia, investigación y apoyo a procesos institucionales. Sus intereses investigativos se orientan a la mejora del desempeño organizacional, la formulación de estrategias y la promoción del emprendimiento en el ámbito público.

Bravo Santana, V., Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador

Verónica Bravo Santana: es docente investigadora en la carrera de Administración Pública de la Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador, sede Portoviejo. Su labor académica se orienta al estudio y fortalecimiento de la gestión organizacional y estratégica en contextos públicos y privados. Cuenta con amplia experiencia en gestión, liderazgo, planificación estratégica, emprendimiento, innovación, gestión de proyectos y desarrollo organizacional. Sus intereses investigativos incluyen la gestión del cambio, la cultura organizacional, el desarrollo de modelos de negocio, el aprendizaje organizacional, la gestión del talento humano y la innovación tecnológica, con énfasis en el análisis estratégico y el fortalecimiento de las pequeñas y medianas empresas.

Cañadas-López, A., Universidad Central del Ecuador

Álvaro Cañadas-López: es docente investigadora en la carrera de Manejo de Recursos Naturales Renovables, de la Universidad Central del Ecuador. Su labor académica se centra en el manejo de recursos renovables. Maestría en Economía Forestal y Ph.D. en Manejo de Recursos Renovables obtenidos en la Universidad de Göttingen, Alemania, con becas otorgadas por el Servicio de Intercambio Académico Alemán (DAA).

How to Cite

Assessing Professors’ Mental Workload via Polychoric Correlations to Improve Working Conditions at ULEAM’s Bahía de Caráquez Extension Campus, Manabí. (2026). Revista Ecos De La Academia, 12(23), 1-23. https://doi.org/10.53358/pted6r92

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