Social Intelligence and Employees’ Work Attitudes in Federal Tertiary Institutions: Organizational Awareness and the Mediating Roles of Knowledge Sharing and Mutual Trust

Angela Chidinma Onuoha, F. E. Eboh, C. O. Aguguo and M. M. Ofondu
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Angela Chidinma Onuoha: Benjamin Uwajumogu (State) College of Education, Ihitte Uboma, Imo State, Nigeria
F. E. Eboh: Department of Management, Faculty of Economics and Management Sciences, Abia State University, Uturu, Abia State, Nigeria
C. O. Aguguo: Department of Management, Faculty of Economics and Management Sciences, Abia State University, Uturu, Abia State, Nigeria
M. M. Ofondu: Department of Management, Faculty of Economics and Management Sciences, Abia State University, Uturu, Abia State, Nigeria

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Abstract: The major objective of this study was to examine the effect of the mediating variables of knowledge sharing and mutual trust on social intelligence and employees work attitude and also ascertain the relationship between organizational awareness and employees' affective attitude toward work in the selected Federal Tertiary Institution in South-East Nigeria. The survey was cross–sectional. Of the 369 sets of questionnaire sent out to the respondents, including academic and senior non- academic staff of the selected institutions, a total of 290 were returned representing 78.6%. Data were analyzed using frequencies, percentages, mean and standard deviation, Spearman's rank-order correlation, and zero-order Pearson correlation at the .05 level of significance. Organizational awareness and employees' affective attitude to work had a strong positive correlation (ρ = .937, p < .001). Social intelligence was highly and positively correlated with employees' attitude to work; with knowledge sharing (r = .921), and mutual trust (r = .935), also showing very high absolute correlation values into positive work attitudes, positive information sharing, and trustworthy relationships. The research concludes that there is a specific institutional climate that is socially intelligent and relationally supportive, which increases employees' commitment, cooperation, and emotional attachment. Management: strengthen policy communication, employee involvement, communities of practice, mentoring, and leadership based on trust. The study recommends that future studies use bootstrapped indirect effects to examine mediation pathways; the current study was cross-sectional, warranting longitudinal studies as well as studies examining parallel mediation.

Keywords: Tertiary institutions; Nigeria; Work attitude; Affective attitude; Mutual trust; Knowledge sharing; Organizational awareness; Social intelligence (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2026-08-16
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Published in European Journal of Management, Economics and Business, 2026, 3 (4), pp.178-195. ⟨10.59324/ejmeb.2026.3(4).15⟩

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:hal:journl:hal-05718402

DOI: 10.59324/ejmeb.2026.3(4).15

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