Editorial Board

A Refereed Monthly International Journal of Management

Impact of Emotional Intelligence on Organizational Citizenship Behavior with mediating effect of Workplace Spirituality

Dr. Richa Chauhan

Assistant Professor,

Banasthali Vidyapith

Abstract

The Current study investigates the effect of EI (Emotional Intelligence) on Organizational Citizenship behavior (OCB) with mediating effect of Workplace spirituality. This study measures the concept of EI, OCB and Workplace Spirituality across 385 respondents from various private and public sector bank employees of Delhi NCR Region.  PLS SEM was used for analyzing the data. Result indicates that relationship exists between these three variables (EI, OCB and Workplace Spirituality) and spirituality at workplace mediates the relationship among EI &organizational citizenship behavior. In this study workplace spirituality was used as mediator for analyzing the impact of EI on OCB. Mediation analysis explains that there is a complimentary mediation exist which means EI has a impact on Organizational Citizenship behavior, not more than Workplace Spirituality, which Means EI leads to workplace Spirituality, which in turn leads to Organizational Citizenship Behaviour.

Organizations must create the culture of spirituality in organization in order to create the positive OCB. And also ought to give adequate importance to workplace spirituality and EI as they are key antecedent OCB.

Keywords: emotional intelligence, workplace spirituality, Organisational citizenship behaviour, employees

Introduction

In today’s competitive and dynamic phase organizations will gotten to be more subordinate on their human assets as a source of competitive advantage. Organizations are not captivated by the workforce who contributed imperceptibly to maintain employment. Instead, organizations look for the sort of representatives who gain “extra mile” by locks in advantageous extra-role practices. These additional work-related practices, which are past those indicated by work depictions &calculated by formal evaluations, are called as organizational citizenship behaviors(or OCBs) (Nasurdin et al., 2013).As a result, in today's world, organisation citizens are seen as one of the most essential sources of information, and their behaviour is also regarded as critical. OCB is a collection of individuals' conscious behaviours; it has a significant impact on work enactment despite the fact that it has no executive responsibility and is not subject to an official incentive system. Employees contribute to the enhancement of the running of organisations by completing their jobs and obligations successfully and efficiently (Narayanan, 2016) and EI can work as a key predecessor for the workplace spirituality and organizational environment (Charoensukmongko, 2013).Spiritual intelligence is the set of competencies that employees utilize to apply, show and encapsulate spiritual assets, values and qualities in ways that upgrade their routine functioning and well-being(Chin et al., 2011). In the literature, many researchers have drafted about the impact of workplace spirituality on OCB. Spirituality at workplace must reinforce and strengthened in order to enhance or amplify the organizational citizenship behaviour (Pasikhani et al. 2018; Nasurdin, 2013; Ghorbanifar & Azma,2014).

Association among variables:

EI (Emotional intelligence) &Workplace Spirituality

Pradhan& Jena (2016) conducted a study to explore the connection between workplace spirituality and organizational commitment with the role of EI among employees of banks in India. According to them EI stands as a potential moderator between these two variables and work as a catalyst for the relationship of both variables. Today organizations are experiencing the revolution in working style of their workforce. To cope with these changes organizations need emotionally stable and dedicated employees. Jardon et al. (2013) explained EI is a Key antecedent for workplace spirituality. EI is absolutely coupled with three magnitude of spirituality at workplace (meaningful work, inner life and condition for community). Emotional intelligence components within the organizations provide workforce to utilize their competencies and personal spiritual experience into work (Saloni, 2016). Jena and Pradhan (2018) also investigates the moderator effect among spirituality at workplace and EC (employee commitment). Bhavaneswari et al. (2019) explained the relationship between EI, workplace spirituality and job performance among IT sector employees in Chennai region. Work spirituality was a mediating variable and factors of EI such as self-awareness, self-regulation and competence have an impact on spirituality which in turn affects the performance of employees.

Workplace Spirituality & OCB

A research was conducted by Ghorbanifar and Azma(2014) on Workplace spirituality and OCB in special reference to banks situated in Sari, Iran. They concluded that there is a constructive association among Workplace spirituality and OCB & if organizations want to sustain in these competitive and dynamic environment they should instil spirituality in organizational culture. Also the various factors spirituality at workplace i.e. meaningful work for employees, employee’s solidarity and alignment of employees have an impact on behavior and culture. Organizational leaders are key person in the organization, they should pen down various policies to improve the wisdom of spirituality at work like brining natural features to workplace, schedule outside meetings with their employees, promote physical and mental wellness, promote creativity and sense of belongingness etc. Workplace spirituality must be considered as a key antecedent for OCB (Charoensukmongkol et al., 2015). Nasurdin et al. (2013) took gender as a moderator to examine the association among spirituality at workplace and OCB. Critical thoughts and transcendental consciousness of SI (Spiritual Intelligence)are having immense impact on OCB. Management should recruit their employees on the basis of their spiritual intelligence and person with high OCB get employment (Anwar &Gani, 2015).Genty et al. (2017) studied the linkage between spirituality &OCB through mediating role of organizational commitment among Nigerian academics. They found that organizational commitment and workplace spirituality were positively correlated and they also suggested that universities must recognize the significance of spirituality at workplace for achieving normative commitment to promote the organizational OCB between the academics. Organizations should create the climate of spirituality &positive attitude of employees towards the organization for enhancing the positive citizenship behavior. Trust of employee’s towards their employer also plays significant role (Jannah et al., 2017).

Objectives:

1. To examine the association among EI (Emotional Intelligence) &OCB.
2. To investigate the mediation effect of Workplace Spirituality among EI & OCB.

Theoretical Construction Figure 1:Relationships among Workplace Spirituality, EI &OCB

The model exhibits a number of associations which were described in the reviewed literature but specifically with respect to OCB, the role of Eland Workplace Spirituality is not tested. Consequently, two hypotheses were framed which are as follows:

H1: EI and OCB are positively correlated.

H2: Workplace Spirituality mediates the relationship between EI & OCB.

Methodology

This study employed exploratory research design. The sample composed private and public sector bank employees and locale of the study was Delhi NCR region. A judgmental and convenience sampling technique was used to collect the data. Sample size for the study was 385 calculated as per the Cochran’s formula. Data was collected through Standardized instruments and analyzed through PLS SEM.

Measuring Instruments:-

Table 1

Demographic Profile:

Table 2Age

Table 3Gender

Table 4 Marital Status

Table 5Data Collection

Data Analysis and Interpretation:

Convergent, discriminant and nomological validity need to be confirmed for ensuring the construct validity of the instrument. Reliability analysis along with the principal significance factor loading is ensured by Convergent validity. A pilot survey was conducted among respondents and expert panel with an objective to validate the very questionnaire. The after math of the survey among respondents and experts proves that the satisfaction level of questionnaire is very high and also that the questionnaire is competent enough to measure what it intends to do. Nomological validity helps in ensuring and identifying a correlation of one construct with others as per the expectations. Observation of the correlation matrix, reveals that all probable connects among the constructs are in accordance of the law of nature.

Table 6Descriptive Statistics:

Measurement Model:

Discriminate validity, Cronbach alpha, composite reliability &AVE (average variance extracted) was identified and significance of factor loadings recorded to determine the reliability and validity of the model. Convergent validity is ensured by the high load of items on their variables respectively. Items loading above the cut-off value of 0.5 are acceptable (Hair et al., 2011). Consequently, after pilot study items having a cut-off value of 0.5, were eliminated. The Composite Reliability and Cronbach alpha coefficient values (α) of all the variables exceeded the admissible cut-off level of 0.70. The AVE too outpace the admissible cut-off level of 0.5 (refer Table 7).

Table 7 Measurement model testing results

Table 8 Fornell-Larckercriterium

Highest load of an item on its own variable authenticates Discriminant validity. Benchmark for discriminant validity is satisfied by the Fornell-Larckercriterium wherein loads of item on their own variables is highest. Consequently, discriminant validity was established for all the factors (refer to Table 8).

Figure: 2

Chin and Newsted (1999) and Fornell and Bookstein (1982) endorsed the conditions of employing PLS-SEM. The purpose of the using PLS-SEM was to predict the indicators through components extension. Taking into consideration the point of view of Hair et al. (2011) wherein suggestion was made that if the study is exploratory and an extension of few structural theory already inexistence then only use PLS-SEM for the analysis of data. Hence, in the present the study PLS-SEM is applied as an exploratory research design for analysis of the data. PLS-SEM assesses the parameters of a set of conditions by combining vital components examination with regression-based analysis through structural model (Mateos-Aparicio, 2011). PLS has become a popular choice in an area of management research, as it is a combination of basic elements regression and analysis and also at the same time fully capable of explaining and describing  the variance of the construct in the model (Chin, 1998).

Table 9 Assessment of structural model

Mediation Analysis:

Fig.2 structural and measurement model shows the resultant relationships metrics among the constructs as hypothesized. The bootstrapping was performed on the sample at the significance level of 0.05one-tailed distribution, to identify the significance of relationship among different variables. The mediation table shows that the Direct effect between EI        OCB (P1) is 0.388 (P Value- 0.000) and the Indirect effect between EIWPS is (P2 * P3) 0.365 (P Value- 0.000). As both indirect effect of P2 * P3 and direct effect of P1 are significant, we calculated the product of P2 * P3 * P1 and which is 0.14162 and positive that means complementary mediation exists. Further, complementary mediation means EI does lead to success of OCB but impact is not higher directly. Higher EI leads to higher Workplace Spirituality which in turn enhances the chances for positive organizational citizenship behavior (OCB).

EI is important for completion of OCB but in the presence of Workplace Spirituality chances are increased for positive OCB.

Findings and discussion:-

In the structural model the Emotional Intelligence (β=0.760, p=0.000) has significant positive relationship with the Workplace Spirituality and Workplace Spirituality (β=0.480, p=0.000) has significant positive relationship with the OCB. The outcome of all the hypotheses is consistent; therefore researcher rejects the null hypothesis. Emotional intelligence items EI2, EI4, EI10, EI11, EI12 and EI15 have high loadings on Workplace spirituality. These items are related with awareness of emotions, regulation of emotions and managing of emotions. Individual those are emotionally balance are score high on workplace spirituality and EI act as a key antecedent for Spirituality at workplace (Jardon etal.2013). Workplace spirituality items WPS 10, WPS 11, WPS 14, WPS 13, WPS 21, WPS 16 and WPS 19 have high loading on organizational citizenship behavior. These items are related with meaningful work, sense of community and alignment of individual values with organizational values. There is a significant coherent association among spirituality at workplace and OCB(Ahmadi etal.,2013;Kazemipour etal.,2012;Rastgaretal. 2012; Jena etal.2018).In the structural model, the Emotional Intelligence (β = 0.760, p = 0.00) has a constructive relationship with Workplace spirituality and also having (β = 0.388, p = 0.00) constructive association with Organizational Citizenship Behavior. Workplace spirituality (β = 0.480, p = 0.00) has a positive relationship with the organizational citizenship behaviour. The results of all the hypotheses are consistent therefore researcher rejects the null hypothesis. The F2 value between 0.02–0.15 reflects a small effect size, between 0.15–0.35 reflects medium effect size and between 0.35 and above it reflects a large effect size. EI has a large effect size (F2= 1.368) on Workplace Spirituality and (F2= 0.388) Medium effect on OCB. But Workplace Spirituality has a large effect size (F2= 0.480) on OCB. (Refer to Table 9). Mediation analysis explains that there is a complimentary mediation exist which means EI has a impact on Organizational Citizenship behavior, not more than Workplace Spirituality. Which Means EI leads to workplace Spirituality, which in turn leads to Organizational Citizenship Behaviour.

Conclusion: - Current study highlights the significance of OCB (Organizational Citizenship Behavior) in organizations along with EI and workplace spirituality. Organizations must create the culture of spirituality in organization in order to create the positive OCB. And also ought to give adequate importance to workplace spirituality and emotional intelligence as they are key antecedent for organizational citizenship behavior. OCB has positive influence on various organizational factors like employee commitment, Job satisfaction, employee turnover and productivity etc (Thiagarajan & Yabesh, 2017; Podsakoff et al, 2009). According to Chin et al. (2012) EI and SI also influence creativity and innovation which also equally important for organizational citizenship behavior. This was also explained in Bhagwat Gita concept Nishkam Karma beautifully. According to that person has to perform his or her prescribed duty without the fruit of result. Working with state of intellect without connection makes a difference one accomplish the preeminent or tend towards flawlessness in work. As an approach organizational citizenship behavior too makes a difference in accomplishing a state of presence where an employees accomplishes greatness and self realization according to Bhgawat Gita (Parthasarathi et al. 2017).

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