Perceived Manager’s Emotional Intelligence and Happiness at Work: The Mediating Role of Job Satisfaction and Affective Organizational Commitment

Abstract Background: Happiness at work is an important factor in employee satisfaction, productivity and retention. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between perceived manager’s emotional intelligence and happiness at work, and whether job satisfaction and affective organizational commitment mediate this relationship. Method: A questionnaire was distributed online to a random sample of 350 schoolteachers in Saudi public schools teaching different majors. Results: Structural equation modelling results showed that satisfaction and affective organizational commitment fully mediated the relationship between perceived manager’s emotional intelligence and happiness at work. Conclusion: Our results support the hypothesis that perceived manager’s emotional intelligence influences employee happiness through its influence on increasing or decreasing job satisfaction and affective organizational commitment. These findings therefore provide insight into employee’s wellbeing and potentially how to promote it.