Emotional intelligence, support, and organizational culture’s impact on decision-making: mediation and moderation analysis in academia

Academic decision-making is composite, involving a number of players with various points of view and frequently conflicting interests. This study explored the relationship between emotional intelligence competence, organizational support, complexity of the academic environment, and role seniority on decision-making efficiency in academia, with a focus on the moderating-mediating role of organizational culture and job satisfaction. Conducted in Pakistan, the study targeted a diverse sample of 1227 individuals from various academic institutions, including deans, department heads, administrative staff, faculty members, research scholars, and postgraduate students, selected using a stratified random sampling method. This study proposes a comprehensive model for higher education decision-making dynamics using behavioural and institutional components, particularly in developing countries like Pakistan. The findings suggested that emotional intelligence competence, organizational support, complexity of the academic environment, and role seniority all have significant direct effects on academia decision-making efficiency (ADME). Furthermore, job satisfaction of university staff was found to mediate the relationship between these variables and ADME, while organizational culture of the university moderated the effects of the independent variables on ADME. The findings provide a framework for development of an effective decision-making culture in academia, highlighting the need for institutions to prioritize the well-being and satisfaction of their staff in order to optimize decision-making processes.