Religiosity and positive emotions as predictors of work engagement among academics in Algeria

Abstract

Purpose

Integration of religiosity and positive emotions at workplace sheds light on the intersection of faith and professional well-being where these two factors lead to increased job satisfaction, higher productivity and improved overall mental health. The study examines the relationship between religiosity, positive emotions and work engagement among academics in Algeria.

Design/methodology/approach

This research is based on the Conservation of Resources (COR) theory and the job demands-resources (JD-R) model of work engagement. The study uses a cross-sectional self-administered questionnaire with stratified random sampling to collect data from 356 academics at public universities in Algeria. The data were analysed using partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) with Smart PLS 3.

Findings

The results indicate that religiosity is positively associated with work engagement, and positive emotions mediate the relationship between religiosity and work engagement. The study also illustrates that job demands (workload) moderate the relationship between positive emotions and work engagement.

Originality/value

The study highlighted that role of religiosity and positive emotions as essential factors in increasing academics' work engagement and contributes to the COR theory and JD-R model of work engagement.

Citation

Elkheloufi, A., Benlahcene, A., Al Ansi, A.M., Queiri, A. and Yean, T.F. (2024), "Religiosity and positive emotions as predictors of work engagement among academics in Algeria", Journal of Applied Research in Higher Education, Vol. ahead-of-print No. ahead-of-print. https://doi.org/10.1108/JARHE-04-2024-0156