Role of Academic Leaders' Emotional Intelligence and Staff Commitment in Public Universities in Oromia Region

Abstract

This study examined the role of academic leaders' emotional intelligence and staff organizational commitment in public universities in Oromia Region, Ethiopia, focusing on the four dimensions of emotional intelligence: self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, and relationship management. A correlational research design with a quantitative approach was employed, and data were collected from 358 active academic staff members using a subordinate-rated questionnaire to assess leaders' emotional intelligence and a self-administered questionnaire to measure staff organizational commitment. Descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, and multiple regression analysis were utilized to analyze the data. The findings revealed a moderate level of emotional intelligence among academic leaders (M = 3.59). Significant moderate positive correlations were observed between the four emotional intelligence dimensions and organizational commitment, with correlation coefficients ranging from *r* = .51 to *r* = .56. Furthermore, the regression analysis indicated that leaders' emotional intelligence significantly predicted staff organizational commitment, accounting for 27% of the variance (R² = .27), suggesting a moderate predictive role. This study provides empirical evidence on existence of the role of emotional intelligence in fostering academic staff commitment within the Oromia public universities and serves as a foundational reference for further research. Accordingly, it is recommended that the Ministry of Education, university administrators, and academic leaders prioritize the development and application of emotional intelligence competencies to enhance staff commitment.