The Mediating Role of Work Engagement in the Relationship between Emotional Intelligence and Organisational Commitment among Higher Education Institution Lecturers

Abstract

This study investigated whether work engagement mediates the relationship between emotional intelligence and organisational commitment among 361 lecturers from higher education institutions. It also examined the relationships between emotional intelligence, organisational commitment and work engagement. Measures used in this study includes Schutte Self-Report Emotional Intelligence Test (SSEIT), Organisational Commitment Scale (OCS) and Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES-17). The data analysed through the partial least squares (PLS-SEM) approach showed positive relationships between emotional intelligence, work engagement and organisational commitment. Besides, the mediating role of work engagement in the relationship between emotional intelligence and organisational commitment was also established. Specifically, emotionally intelligent lecturers reported a higher level of commitment to their education institution due to higher engagement to their work. Thus, this study recommends that higher education institutions to place greater focus on the growth of emotional intelligence abilities among lecturers to promote engagement and commitment through strategies such as training programs.

The effects of work-life balance and emotional intelligence on organizational commitment mediated by work engagement

“…That is, high emotional intelligence can increase organizational commitment due to increased levels of employees' work engagement. This study results support previous research on work engagement mediating the relationship of emotional intelligence to organizational commitment, conducted by Nagalingam et al 2019. This previous research concluded that work engagement was able to mediate between emotional intelligence and organizational commitment significantly.…”

“…Higher emotional intelligence will have a high commitment because of the level of employees' work engagement. It is in line with Nagalingam et al (2019) research, which states that work engagement mediates the relationship between emotional intelligence and organizational commitment. Engagement is vital to increase the growth of emotional intelligence and organizational commitment of employees.…”

Emotional intelligence and organisational commitment of Lecturers at Kyambogo University

“…The study, however, revealed that self-management positively and significantly predicted the organisational commitment of lecturers. The finding was in support of the previous researchers (Hashim et al, 2018;Javaid & Khalid, 2021;Kumar et al, 2021;Nagalingam et al, 2019;Sridevi et al, 2021;Osieko et al, 2017;Wameru et al, 2020;Warnakula et al, 2021) who indicated a strong positive link between self-management and organisational commitment. This implies that self-management is essential for the commitment of lecturers.…”

“…This suggested that the relationship was not definite, hence the need for further study. Further, scholars (e.g., Hashim et al, 2018;Javaid & Khalid, 2021;Kumar et al, 2021;Nagalingam et al, 2019;Sridevi et al, 2021;Osieko et al, 2017;Wameru et al, 2020;Warnakula et al, 2021) investigated the link between self-management and organisational commitment. However, conceptual and contextual gaps emerge from the above studies.…”

Biosongs: enhancing cognition and emotional development through an active teaching-learning method in biosciences

“…Research suggests that emotion plays a crucial role in educational settings, influencing job satisfaction, burnout, and overall well-being (Lee et al, 2019). Studies have shown that emotional intelligence can enhance work engagement and organizational commitment not only with the students but also among educators, leading to higher levels of dedication to their institutions (Nagalingam et al, 2019). Therefore, the use of active learning methods based on music and artscience can promote an overall reinforcement of the entire educational system.…”