Raising the bar: a systems approach to promoting good wellbeing and self-efficacy in zoo and aquarium professionals

Citation

Brando S, Buchanan-Smith HM, Planellas SR & Caes L (2026) Raising the bar: a systems approach to promoting good wellbeing and self-efficacy in zoo and aquarium professionals. Frontiers in Veterinary Science, 13. https://doi.org/10.3389/fvets.2026.1746998

Abstract
This research examines life satisfaction, individual and organisational job satisfaction , and self-efficacy in zoo and aquarium (ZOAQ) professionals, investigating how organisational structures, processes, provisions, and team engagement contribute to these outcomes. We applied a novel integration of Bronfenbrenner's Ecological Systems Theory, the Rhinelands Way, and the One Welfare framework to guide a mixed-methods study comprising a cross-sectional mixed-methods survey (n = 442) and follow-up interviews (n = 39) across 23 accredited organisations. Descriptive statistics, correlations, mediation and moderation analyses addressed five pre-specified hypotheses, with thematic analysis of interview data contextualising the quantitative findings. Most participants reported satisfactory individual job satisfaction (71%), and work perceptions and organisational appreciation were more strongly associated with job satisfaction than access to tangible provisions. However, findings revealed significant role-based disparities in provision access, a weak relationship between formal wellbeing processes and job satisfaction, and patterns of manager-observed behaviour and self-efficacy suppression consistent with learned helplessness. These results provide an empirical basis for developing people-centred organisational cultures character-ised by equitable provisions, supportive leadership, meaningful communication, and structures that promote help-seeking and collective goals including animal wellbeing and conservation. Limitations include the cross-sectional design, English-language sampling, and the inferential rather than direct measurement of learned helplessness.

Keywords
aquariums; employee wellbeing; leadership; learned helplessness; self-efficacy; working conditions; zoos

Notes
RECEIVED 15 November 2025 REVISED 07 May 2026 ACCEPTED 19 May 2026 PUBLISHED 09 July 2026; Frontiers in Veterinary Science 01 frontiersin.org TYPE Original Research PUBLISHED The North American 3Rs Collaborative, United States CITATION Brando S, Buchanan-Smith HM, Rey Planellas S and Caes L (2026) Raising the bar: a systems approach to promoting good wellbeing and self-efficacy in zoo and aquarium professionals. Front. Vet. Sci. 13:1746998. COPYRIGHT © 2026 Brando, Buchanan-Smith, Rey Planellas and Caes. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) and the copyright owner(s) are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

Journal
Frontiers in Veterinary Science: Volume 13