Dispositional Positive Emotions and Employee Engagement in University Teachers: Mediating Role of Appreciative Inquiry

Abstract

The present research was conducted to explore the role of dispositional positive emotions and appreciative inquiry in employee engagement among university teachers and mediating role of appreciative inquiry in predicting employee engagement from positive dispositional emotions. A convenient sample (N = 237) of university teachers including both men and women with age ranged from 29 to 54 years (mean age = 39.22) was acquired. The major constructs of the study were assessed with Dispositional Positive Emotions Scale (Shiota, Keltner, & John, 2006), Appreciative Inquiry Scale (Clayton, 2015), and Employee Engagement Survey (Wilson, 2009). Results showed that dispositional positive emotions were positively associated with appreciative inquiry and employee engagement, while appreciative inquiry displayed positive association with employee engagement. Appreciative inquiry mediated the relationship between dispositional positive emotions and employee engagement. Findings further showed significant gender differences indicating that women were high on positive dispositional emotions, appreciative inquiry and employee engagement as compared to men. Group differences on job experience showed that employees with more work experience exhibited better dispositional positive emotions, appreciative inquiry, and work related engagement as compared to other groups. 2x2x3 analysis revealed that women teachers with more work experience displayed more dispositional positive emotions, appreciative inquiry and employee engagement.