MEDIATING ROLE OF ORGANIZATIONAL COMMUNICATION BETWEEN BIG FIVE PERSONALITY TRAITS AND WORKPLACE HAPPINESS AMONG HIGHER EDUCATION TEACHERS: A STRUCTURAL EQUATION MODELLING (SEM) APPROACH

Educational institutions are going through rapid transformations. On the one hand, curriculum equirements are changing dynamically and continuously to respond to the increasing industry demands; on the other hand, pressure of quality research on faculty members. However, this pressure may vary from person to person and may be intervened by certain organisational factors. This study investigates the role of teachers' big five personality traits at universities and institutions in workplace happiness mediated by organisational communication. The data were collected from 384 teachers who work at UGC-approved government, private universities, and deemed universities in Delhi and the NCR. The sampling method was quota sampling, and the statistical techniques used were Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) and Mediation Analysis. The study's findings indicate that extraversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, and openness positively affect workplace happiness, and neuroticism negatively affects the same. Organisational communication significantly mediates the relationship between the first four personality types (except neuroticism and neuroticism). Considering the practical implications of the Big Five personality types at work can help academic institutions and universities develop strategies and interventions that boost workplace happiness to enhance job satisfaction, employee engagement, and total company performance. Institutions can also strengthen their communication effectiveness to improve overall happiness further. Keywords: Extraversion, Neuroticism, Agreeableness, Conscientiousness, Openness, Happiness, Workplace, Organiational Communication, Structural Equation Modelling (SEM).