CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background to the Study

An organisation is effective to the extent that it achieves its goals. Effective organisations foster co-operation, a sense of commitment and satisfaction among the people within their sphere of influence. People are not simply one of the resources of an organisation; they are central to it, and in this sense the human element and the organisation cannot be separated. A well-managed organisation treats its ordinary workers as the main source of its improvement.

Organisational commitment and job satisfaction have attracted a large and growing body of research among many occupational groups, and a good deal of that research has focused on teachers. Commitment matters because teachers need it in order to contribute their service, effort and energy to the school (Juati et al., 2020). Job satisfaction, in turn, is generally expected to strengthen organisational commitment (Akomolafe & Ogunmakin, 2014). Job satisfaction has been defined as a pleasurable or positive emotional state that results from the appraisal of one’s job or job experiences (Akomolafe & Ogunmakin, 2014). It reflects the extent to which employees perceive that their job provides what they regard as important. For teachers, these important things typically include regular and adequate pay, promotion, welfare packages and good conditions of service, all of which can strengthen commitment to the organisation.

Emotional intelligence, the ability to recognise, understand and manage one’s own emotions and those of others, has also been linked to work attitudes. Among Nigerian secondary school teachers, emotional intelligence, occupational stress and self-efficacy jointly predicted job satisfaction, and emotional intelligence was a stronger predictor than self-efficacy (Akomolafe & Ogunmakin, 2014). Studies of teachers in other countries have examined emotional intelligence, job satisfaction and organisational commitment together. In Pakistan, for example, researchers examined the relationship among the three variables, and found that females showed higher emotional intelligence than males while age and gender made no difference to teachers’ commitment and satisfaction (Hussain et al., 2014). In Malaysia, a study of 175 secondary school teachers concluded that teachers need high levels of work satisfaction, emotional intelligence, motivation and commitment to remain stable in their work and to develop students’ potential (Juati et al., 2020).

In Nigeria, however, the conditions that normally support satisfaction and commitment are often absent. A study of public secondary school teachers in south-west Nigeria found low levels of commitment to the school, to students and to the teaching profession, and showed that in-service training, incentives, workload and school facilities all had a significant influence on teachers’ commitment (Ogunjide & Odeleye, 2022). In Enugu State itself, a study of teachers in the urban area found that job characteristics and emotional labour explained only part of the variation in the different forms of organisational commitment, and that policy makers were advised to attend to these factors in order to enhance commitment (Oranika et al., 2020). These findings suggest that satisfaction, emotional factors and commitment need to be examined together. It is against this background that the present study examines emotional intelligence and job satisfaction as predictors of organisational commitment among secondary school teachers in Enugu State.

1.2 Statement of the Problem

Emotional intelligence, job satisfaction and organisational commitment have long been important concerns for employers, because organisational goals are unlikely to be achieved unless employees are satisfied with their jobs and, as a result, committed to the organisation. Teachers who are satisfied may develop a strong desire to remain in the organisation and to work hard on its behalf.

However, there are indications that many teachers in Enugu State secondary schools are not satisfied with their jobs. Observation suggests that their salaries are not always paid when due, that they are not adequately motivated, that their working environment is poor, that promotion is irregular and that government support for acquiring new skills is limited. Studies of public secondary school teachers elsewhere in Nigeria show a similar pattern, with low levels of commitment linked to inadequate incentives, heavy workloads and poor facilities (Ogunjide & Odeleye, 2022). Studies of teachers in Enugu have examined the effects of job characteristics and emotional labour on commitment (Oranika et al., 2020), but the combined effect of emotional intelligence and job satisfaction on organisational commitment in the state has received less attention. The study therefore investigates the extent to which emotional intelligence and job satisfaction predict organisational commitment among secondary school teachers in Enugu State.

1.3 Objectives of the Study

The main objective of the study is to examine emotional intelligence and job satisfaction as predictors of organisational commitment among secondary school teachers in Enugu State. The specific objectives are to:

1. analyse the relationship between job satisfaction and organisational commitment among secondary school teachers in Enugu State;
2. examine the relationship between emotional intelligence and organisational commitment among secondary school teachers in Enugu State;
3. determine the extent to which regular payment and increase of salary affect job satisfaction among secondary school teachers in Enugu State;
4. examine the degree to which promotion affects organisational commitment among secondary school teachers in Enugu State;
5. evaluate the extent to which the employee–employer relationship enhances job satisfaction among secondary school teachers in Enugu State; and
6. examine the relationship between the working environment and organisational commitment among secondary school teachers in Enugu State.

1.4 Research Questions

In line with the objectives, the study seeks answers to the following questions:

1. What is the relationship between emotional intelligence, job satisfaction and organisational commitment among secondary school teachers in Enugu State?
2. What is the relationship between emotional intelligence and organisational commitment among secondary school teachers in Enugu State?
3. To what extent do regular payment and increases in salary affect job satisfaction among secondary school teachers in Enugu State?
4. To what degree does promotion affect organisational commitment among secondary school teachers in Enugu State?
5. To what extent does the employee–employer relationship enhance job satisfaction among secondary school teachers in Enugu State?
6. What is the relationship between the working environment and organisational commitment among secondary school teachers in Enugu State?

1.5 Research Hypotheses

Based on the research objectives, the following null hypotheses were formulated:

1. H0: There is no significant relationship between job satisfaction and organisational commitment among secondary school teachers in Enugu State.
2. H0: There is no significant relationship between emotional intelligence and organisational commitment among secondary school teachers in Enugu State.
3. H0: Regular payment and increases in salary have no positive effect on job satisfaction among secondary school teachers in Enugu State.
4. H0: Promotion has no significant effect on organisational commitment among secondary school teachers in Enugu State.
5. H0: The employee–employer relationship does not play a significant role in enhancing job satisfaction among secondary school teachers in Enugu State.
6. H0: There is no significant relationship between the working environment and organisational commitment among secondary school teachers in Enugu State.

1.6 Significance of the Study

The study is significant from the following perspectives:

1. Its findings will provide a basis and framework for future researchers who wish to carry out further studies.
2. It will raise awareness among government and private school proprietors and stimulate policies to improve the standard of education in Enugu State in particular and Nigeria in general. Evidence that incentives, workload and facilities influence teachers’ commitment (Ogunjide & Odeleye, 2022) underlines the importance of such policies.
3. It will provide information on the relationship between job satisfaction, emotional intelligence and organisational commitment that will benefit officials of the Ministry of Education and teachers themselves.

1.7 Scope of the Study

The study is carried out in selected secondary schools in Enugu State. Its content covers emotional intelligence; theories, dimensions, determinants and models of job satisfaction; organisational commitment; types of employee commitment; and antecedents of organisational commitment.

1.8 Limitations of the Study

The researcher faced the following constraints in conducting the study.

Time. Time was one of the reasons for restricting the study to Enugu State, so some places where data and information could have been obtained were not visited.

Nonchalant attitude of respondents. Some respondents showed little concern about supplying the necessary information, probably because they did not understand the purpose of the study, and some refused to be interviewed or to answer questions.

1.9 Operational Definitions of Key Terms

Emotional intelligence: the capacity to be aware of, control and express one’s emotions and to handle interpersonal relationships with good judgement and empathy.

Job satisfaction: a pleasurable or positive emotional state resulting from the appraisal of one’s job or job experiences, reflecting an employee’s overall feelings and attitudes towards the job (Akomolafe & Ogunmakin, 2014).

Organisational commitment: the degree to which an employee identifies with a particular organisation and its goals and wishes to remain a member of it. It is commonly considered to have three components: affective, continuance and normative commitment (Oranika et al., 2020).

Motivation: the process of activating, sustaining and directing work-related behaviour so that employees’ own goals and organisational objectives can be achieved together.

Labour turnover: the movement of workers out of the employment of an organisation, which may result from frustration with job-related conditions.

Organisational change: the deliberate design and introduction of a structural innovation, a new policy or a new goal in an organisation.

References

Akomolafe, M. J., & Ogunmakin, A. O. (2014). Job satisfaction among secondary school teachers: Emotional intelligence, occupational stress and self-efficacy as predictors. Journal of Educational and Social Research, 4(3), 487. https://doi.org/10.5901/jesr.2014.v4n3p487

Hussain, M. A., Ahmed, I., & Haider, S. Z. (2014). Investigating the relationship among organizational commitment, job satisfaction and emotional intelligence. Journal of Education & Social Sciences, 2(2).

Juati, N. A., Nazarudin, M. N., Musa, J., & Juhumin, H. S. S. (2020). Relationship between job satisfaction, emotional intelligence, motivation and organizational commitment among secondary school teachers in Tambunan district. International Journal of Education, Psychology and Counselling, 5(36).

Ogunjide, J. A., & Odeleye, D. A. (2022). Motivational strategies and school factors as predictors of teachers’ commitment in public secondary schools in South-west, Nigeria. Journal of Capital Development in Behavioural Sciences, 10(1).

Oranika, N. G., Okonkwo, E. A., & Aboh, U. J. (2020). Moderating role of emotional labour in job characteristics and organizational commitment relations. International Journal of Social and Administrative Sciences, 5(2), 127–142. https://doi.org/10.18488/journal.136.2020.52.127.142