How emotional intelligence and spiritual intelligence foster employee engagement and organizational success

Purpose Emotional intelligence (EI) and spiritual intelligence (SI) are key drivers of organizational citizenship behavior (OCB), which enhances organizational effectiveness. Despite the importance of both EI and SI, limited research exists on their interaction and influence on OCB. This study aims to examine the relationship between managerial EI and employee SI, exploring their combined impact on OCB. It also investigates SI’s mediating role, proposing that higher managerial EI enhances employee SI, which, in turn, fosters greater OCB. The research aims to provide insights into how EI and SI promote a supportive and proactive organizational environment. Design/methodology/approach A quantitative, cross-sectional design was used to examine the relationships between managerial EI, employee SI and OCB in the Jordanian banking sector. Data were collected from 325 employees across various banks using a structured, validated questionnaire. Analysis was conducted using structural equation modeling with partial least squares (SEM-PLS), chosen for its suitability with nonnormal data. Findings The results show four key insights: (1) a positive relationship between managerial EI and employee SI; (2) a direct positive impact of managerial EI on employee OCB; (3) a significant positive effect of employee SI on their OCB; and (4) the mediating role of SI in the EI-OCB relationship. These findings provide clear interpretations and suggest future research directions to further explore the interaction between EI, SI and OCB. Originality/value Based on this work it can be concluded that EI and SI are critically important in helping to increase OCB and strengthen organization output. Through the analyses of how EI, SI and OCB relate to each other, it provides a helpful proposal in the way HR should practice since it urges to develop EI among managers and SI among employees to ensure a working environment that becomes more engaged, active and supportive. The results also offer practical strategies that have scope of increasing the performance of an organization, employee motivation as well as competitive advantage.