BRIDGING SOCIAL INTELLIGENCE AND ORGANIZATIONAL PERFORMANCE: EXAMINING THE MEDIATING ROLE OF EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT

Abstract

In modern healthcare systems, interpersonal competence has become increasingly critical for maintaining service quality, teamwork effectiveness, and organizational sustainability. This study investigates how Social Intelligence (SI) influences Organizational Performance (OP) and evaluates the extent to which Employee Engagement (EE) mediates this relationship. Using a descriptive, cross-sectional design, data were collected from 384 healthcare professionals—including physicians, nurses, administrative staff, allied health workers, and support employees—selected through stratified random sampling. Validated scales measuring SI, EE, and OP were administered, and the responses were analyzed using SPSS and Hayes’ PROCESS Macro (Model 4). Results confirmed that SI has a positive but relatively weak direct effect on OP. EE emerged as a strong predictor of OP, demonstrating that engaged employees contribute more significantly to communication effectiveness, teamwork, service quality, and organizational growth. Mediation testing revealed that EE partially mediates the SI–OP relationship, indicating that social competencies influence performance more effectively when channelled through engagement behaviors. These findings emphasize the need for healthcare organizations to cultivate both social intelligence and engagement-supportive practices—such as meaningful job design, recognition systems, effective communication, and supportive leadership—to enhance productivity and patient-centered outcomes. The study contributes to organizational behavior literature by integrating SI, EE, and OP within a unified model relevant to healthcare environments.