Emotional Intelligence, Knowledge Management Processes and Creative Performance: Modelling the Mediating Role of Self-Directed Learning in Higher Education

Understanding the role of digital immersive technology in educating the students of english language: does it promote critical thinking and self-directed learning for achieving sustainability in education with the help of teamwork?

PURPOSE

Universities are constantly searching for best practices to promote sustainability when it comes to educating students of the English language. Although this area of study has recently gained the attention of scholars around the world there is still a need to explore it from various perspectives.

OBJECTIVE

This study aims to comprehensively investigate the impact of digital immersive technology on the education of English language students, specifically focusing on its potential to promote critical thinking and self-directed learning for achieving sustainability in education through teamwork. The research will assess the influence of digital immersive experiences on enhancing learning outcomes, examining their role in fostering critical thinking skills and encouraging self-directed learning practices. Additionally, the study explores the collaborative aspects of digital immersive technology, evaluating its contribution to teamwork among students.

METHODOLOGY

The objective was achieved by using a survey questionnaire to collect data from 304 registered students in various universities in Beijing. Data analysis was conducted by applying Mplus 7.0 software.

FINDINGS

The findings revealed that the use of digital immersive technology was pivotal for achieving sustainable education both directly and indirectly to an extent. In addition, team working moderated all the respective paths except the path involving the use of digital immersive technology and critical thinking.

IMPLICATIONS

These results generated implications for teachers and policymakers to promote and facilitate the use of digital technology for teaching the English language to students, encouraging them to develop critical skills and self-directed learning strategies. The study also offered guidance and deeper understanding for researchers to address the concerns linked to the use of digital technology and sustainable education particularly in their future endeavors.

Exploring the Nexus of Emotional Intelligence and University Performance: An Investigation Through Perceived Organizational Support and Innovative Work Behavior

Purpose

This study is based on the ability-based theory of emotional intelligence (EI), organizational support theory, and componential theory of creativity. This study intended to investigate organizational performance (OP) against academics' EI in higher education institutions (HEIs) in China. This study further scrutinized perceived organizational support (POS) and innovative work behavior (IWB) as mediators among these associations. Similarly, the inter-link between POS and IWB was investigated.

Design/methodology/Approach

Chinese HEIs academicians (327) were examined using quantitative and cross-sectional research methods. Likewise, PLS-SEM, that is, partial least squares structural equation modeling, was used as a data analysis method to examine assumed relationships statistically.

Findings

The extracted findings established the anticipated relationships, and the results validated that EI had a direct and positive association with OP in HEIs. Similarly, the findings revealed that IWB partially mediated the association between EI and OP; however, full mediation was observed in the case of POS.

Practical Implications

This study emphasizes the importance of unindustrialised glamorous blend of EI and OP in HEIs. In addition, the findings asserted that HEIs staff evaluate and control high-voltage circumstances that assure an effectual valuation and supervision of the self and others' emotions. Equally, EI amplifies POS, which flares up the IWB while enriching OP in HEIs.

Originality/Value

This study examined OP alongside academicians' EI in HEIs, which is among the initial pieces of research on HEIs. Additionally, the wholesome research nexus that scrutinizes POS and IWB as an inter-link between EI and OP in HEIs is original.

Relationship between optimism, emotional intelligence, and academic resilience of nursing students: the mediating effect of self-directed learning competency

Background

The evolution toward future education following the 4th industrial revolution and the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic have changed nursing education dramatically. Online classes have become a new paradigm of education, and are expected to develop and be maintained in various forms even after the end of COVID-19. Therefore, attention is focused on finding ways to improve learners' achievements in a distance learning environment. This study aimed to examine the mediating effects of self-directed learning competency on the relationships between optimism, emotional intelligence and academic resilience among nursing students.

Methods

A cross-sectional descriptive design was conducted using convenience sampling of 195 nursing students in South Korea. Data were analyzed with descriptive statistics, Pearson's correlation coefficients, multiple regression, and mediation analysis using SPSS/WIN 26.0 program.

Results

There were significant positive correlations among self-directed learning competency, optimism, emotional intelligence and academic resilience. The self-directed learning competency acts as a mediator in explaining relationship between optimism, emotional intelligence and academic resilience, respectively.

Conclusion

This study provides the evidence for the role of self-directed learning competency in the relationship between optimism, emotional intelligence and academic resilience in nursing students. Rapid changes in education are inevitable due to changes in clinical settings and the impact of repeated infectious disease outbreaks including the COVID-19 pandemic. This study suggests strengthening positive psychology and self-directed learning capability of nursing students as a strategy to prepare for changes in education and clinical areas.

From “doing alone” to “working together”—Research on the influence of spiritual leadership on employee morale

Spiritual leadership is a beneficial attempt to implement organizational strategy and sustainable development by improving employees’ personal spiritual needs, stimulating employees’ intrinsic motivation, sense of responsibility, and calling in the work process. We theoretically illustrate that spiritual leadership has a significant positive impact on employee morale. The factors of personal self-efficacy and interpersonal trust play an intermediary chain role in this process. SPSS 24.0 and Process3.5 were used to test the mediating effect using multilevel regression analysis and the bootstrap method. Survey data collected from 278 employees from Chinese organizations supported our proposed hypotheses. The research verifies it is necessary to pay attention to improving the spiritual needs of leaders and employees in organizational development. Through the cultivation, spiritual leadership not only can stimulate the cohesion of the organization and the intrinsic motivation of the employees, but also is of great significance to enrich the spiritual life of the organization members.

How psychological contract violation impacts turnover intentions of knowledge workers? The moderating effect of job embeddedness

When knowledge workers encounter psychological contract violations, they usually send out biased signals. Their job satisfaction decreases and their turnover intentions increase. However, in the increasingly competitive talent market, employees may not choose to leave when they encounter psychological contract violation. Based on the theoretical research results of the existing psychological contract violation, job satisfaction, turnover intention and job embeddedness, this paper analyzes the internal connections and deep relationships among the key elements by referring to the possible causes and results of the changes in the key elements. Survey technique was utilized while knowledge workers were selected as targeted respondents from specified provinces of China. A total of 392 valid questionnaires were selected by questionnaire survey. Statistical analysis was carried out by SPSS21 and AMOS23, and regression analysis was used to repeatedly verify the relationship between various elements. The results show that psychological contract violation positively predicts the turnover intention of knowledge workers, job satisfaction mediates the positive effect of psychological contract violation on turnover intention, and job embeddedness negatively regulates the positive effect of psychological contract violation on turnover intention. This study has theoretical and practical significance in enriching the theory and methods of organizational management, inspiring knowledge workers to stimulating their work potential, reducing employees' turnover intention, reducing the impact of resignation on the enterprise, and enhancing the enterprise's human resource management of knowledge workers.

Examining pre-service teachers regulation in distance and traditional preschool design and technology education

The significance of adapting to a rapidly changing world is quite evident in the current day; thus, the awareness of how to teach students so that they can be ready to face challenges in the future is very important. Early education has a huge impact on the further development of children, so preschool teachers must be competent and use appropriate teaching and educational methods. In this study, the development of self-directed learning (SDL) of future preschool teachers is investigated by considering two variables, namely the type of study (full-time and part-time students) and the learning modalities caused by the COVID-19 pandemic (pre-, during and post-COVID-19 confinement). We collected data from 418 participants and analysed them using descriptive statistics, 2 × 3 factorial analysis of variance (ANOVA) and a two-step cluster analysis. The results show the status of pre-service preschool teachers' perceptions of their SDL development and how the variables influenced it. There were significant differences in the students' self-reported SDL skills, depending on the learning environment and the type of study. The status indicator helps educators identify and change the curriculum and how they work with students. It allows the faculty to highlight the positive aspects of the different educational modalities encountered, as well as the characteristics of the study types and their impact on the learning process to improve students' SDL skills. The results of the study may help in the design of tailored metacognitive scaffolds that take into account different modalities. Further studies are needed to investigate the effectiveness of digital open learning environments that address both SDL and preschool educational practices.

The role of knowledge management and sharing in cooperatives practices toward National Economic Recovery in the COVID-19 pandemic era

The National Economic Recovery (NER) Program is one of the responses initiated by the government in Indonesia's economic recovery due to the impact of COVID-19, the target is to reduce the activities of affected communities, including cooperatives. One of the priority aspects for the program to run well and smoothly is the role of institutions in knowledge management and process sharing. This paper examines the role of knowledge management and sharing in cooperatives with qualitative limitations at the knowledge process level, knowledge design level, strategic interaction level, social participation level, academic and scientific ecosystem level, and network and partnership level. A qualitative description becomes a research method with secondary data in the form of a comparison of cooperatives in 2019-2021 as a representation before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. COVID-19 secondary data for 20 months from April 2020 to September 2022 in Indonesia dynamically also support sharpening the analysis. The source of cooperative data is from the publications of the Ministry of Cooperatives and SMEs, while the source of COVID-19 data comes from the publication of the COVID-19 Task Force. The analysis is carried out by building qualitative aspects into quantitative ones that can be formulated in the form of cooperative applications. The result is that the application of the knowledge process level, knowledge design level, strategic interaction level, social participation level, academic and scientific ecosystem level, and network and partnership level can improve decision-making, capture, share, and measure institutional knowledge for the success of the NER Program.

Nexus of Emotional Intelligence and Learning Outcomes: A Cross-Country Study of China and Pakistan Higher Educational Institutes

The purpose of this empirical study is to investigate the effects of emotional intelligence (EI) on learning outcomes (e.g., social, cognitive, and self-growth outcomes) and satisfaction with the university experience of academics and administrative staff at Chinese and Pakistani research universities. This study also investigates the mediation of self-directed learning (personal autonomy, personal responsibility, and personal growth) and knowledge management processes (KMPs) concerning the relationship between EI and learning outcomes. Moreover, this study explores the relationship between learning outcomes and creative performance (creative self-efficacy and leadership/supervisor support). The survey method was considered appropriate for the data collection and was completed simultaneously through paper and electronic mediums. The partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) method with a measurement assessment, structural assessment, mediation, and multi-group analysis was applied to a sample of 729 academics and administrative staff from Chinese and Pakistani research universities. A few dissimilarities surfaced with regard to EI and learning outcomes while evaluating the higher education institutions (HEIs) from both countries. Moreover, an indirect relation between EI and learning outcomes was established via self-directed learning and KMPs. Lastly, the intended direct statistical association between learning outcomes and creative performance was also documented. This study may serve as an initiative to equate and differentiate EI in relation to learning outcomes and creative performance among higher education professionals in China and Pakistan. The considered framework is novel and supports both EI and learning outcomes while adhering to the perceived value of the two adjacent regions.

Impact of Leading by Example on Employees' Organizational and Job Psychological Ownership: A Moderated Mediation Study

This article studies the influence of leading by example on organizational psychological ownership and job psychological ownership. This article further introduces the mediating mechanism of organizational identification and the regulating mechanism of Leader-member Exchange (LMX). This study investigated 312 personnel from eight property management enterprises in East, Northwest, Northeast, and central China. This study adopts a quantitative research method, using survey data of project managers, team leaders, and managers of Property management projects in China. The data were collected by questionnaire survey. In terms of data analysis, AMOS 21.0 software was used to conduct structural equation modeling (SEM) using the maximum likelihood method to test direct and indirect effects. SPSS 25.0 software was used to test the moderating effect by multilevel regression analysis with the maximum variance method. Use these two methods to analyze the whole theoretical framework. The results established all assumed relationships. In this article, leading by example, one of the important dimensions of empowering leadership is studied as a new leadership style, and the predictive effect of leading by example on organizational psychological ownership and job psychological ownership is verified. This finding further verifies the influence mechanism and boundary conditions of empowering leadership in different dimensions. It is found that organizational identification has different mediating effects on leading by example and organizational psychological ownership and job psychological ownership. The moderating effect of LMX also further indicates that under the influence of Confucian pan-family culture, the leader's exemplary behavior with higher authority has a stronger influence on employees' organizational identification, organizational psychological ownership, and job psychological ownership. Their relationship is deeply influenced by the culture of China's unique organizational Circle Culture.

Teachers’ Adoption of Emotions-Based Learning Outcomes: Significance of Teachers’ Competence, Creative Performance, and University Performance

Studies have revealed that emotion-based learning outcomes are scarce when teachers’ competence and creative performance are neglected, further university performance in relation to teachers’ emotion-based learning outcomes is disregarded in literature so far. Based on the Attributional theory of achievement motivation and emotion, the purpose of this empirical study is to investigate the effects of Emotional Intelligence (EI) on learning outcomes (social, cognitive, self-growth outcomes, and satisfaction with university experience) of academicians in Pakistan’s higher education institutions (HEIs). This study also examines the mediating role of teacher competence (personal assessment) and creative performance (Creative self-efficacy and leadership/supervisor support) in a relationship between EI and learning outcomes. Furthermore, this study ascertained the relationship between learning outcomes and organizational performance (OP) of HEIs. This study used a sample frame of 237 academic professionals from Pakistani HEIs, the hypothesized associations were ascertained using the partial least squares structural equation modeling method (PLS-SEM). The findings disclose that EI has a positive and significant influence on learning outcomes. Furthermore, an indirect relation between EI and learning outcomes is established through teacher competence and creative performance while the relationship between learning outcomes and OP is established also. Results of the considered study reinforce the academic understanding of EI and propose how academicians of HEIs can value their competence and creative performance which in turn enhances learning outcomes and OP. There is a lack of studies in HEIs that investigate the relationship between EI, teacher competence, creative performance, learning outcomes, and OP. This is one of the initial researches that not only empirically examine the interface of EI, learning outcomes, and OP of HEIs’ academicians but also enlightens comprehensions into the prevailing literature by immediate investigation of the mediating role of teacher competence and creative performance in fundamental association.

Exploring the longitudinal effects of emotional intelligence and cultural intelligence on knowledge management processes

Managing knowledge has become a new reality for multinational corporations (MNCs). Previous studies in the management field have closely examined personality traits as stable dispositional constructs over time, but they oversighted the possibilities that seemingly stable traits are likely to have different effects on outcomes in varying time waves. Combining horizontal and longitudinal surveys, this study collected two-wave datasets of 216 employees from MNCs, and built Fixed, Continuous and Interacting Models to investigate the effects of individual emotional intelligence (EI) and cultural intelligence (CI) as key traits on the processes of organizational knowledge management (KM) over time. This study discovered the fixed, continuous and interacting roles of EI and CI in KM processes at different times, and it also concluded that the traditional assumption of conceptualizing the effects of dispositional variables as fixed should be re-examined. The findings provided empirical and statistical evidence for future research as well as management suggestions for MNCs implementing KM practices.

The Effect of Abusive Supervision on Employee Creativity: The Mediating Role of Negative Affect and Moderating Role of Interpersonal Harmony

This study investigates the relationship between abusive supervision and employee creativity by shedding light on the mediating role of negative affect and the moderating role of interpersonal harmony. Based on affective events theory, it was hypothesized that abusive supervision impacts employees' negative affect and their creativity. Data from a questionnaire survey of 398 Chinese employee-supervisor dyads were collected and analyzed. The results support our hypotheses, address unexplored theoretical predictions, and suggest that organizations should deal with the factors undermining employees' emotions to improve their creativity.

How Job Tenure Weakens the Positive Influence of Education on Creative Performance through Task Performance

Researchers indicate that employees with a high level of education tend to have better creative performance. However, few studies have investigated the boundary conditions of this association. The componential model of creativity demonstrates that both task-relevant skills and creativity-relevant skills are indispensable factors of creative performance. Job tenure, which generally hinders employees from acquiring creativity-relevant skills, is regarded as a potential boundary condition. In this study, we investigate how job tenure weakens positive influence of education on creative performance through task performance. Using a sample of 368 employees and 43 leaders in a provincial bank in China, we indeed find that job tenure negatively moderates the indirect relationship between education and creative performance via task performance. Specifically, the positive relationship is weakened when job tenure is high than when it is low. We also discuss the theoretical and practical implications of our study and highlight future research directions.

Factors Influencing the Creativity of Chinese Upper-Secondary-School Students Participating in Programming Education

Purpose: This study explored whether instructional characteristics, learner characteristics, family socioeconomic status, and gender influence creativity in the context of programming education in China. Methods: A total of 851 upper-secondary-school students in Beijing, China, were surveyed using the Creativity Scale, Programming Learning Scale, Programming Teaching Scale and Family Socioeconomic Status Questionnaire. SPSS (version 22) was used for correlation analysis, t-test and regression analysis. Results: (1) Teachers' programming teaching method and management; students' programming learning approach, attitude, and engagement; gender; and family economic capital were all significantly associated with creativity. (2) There were significant differences between males and females in terms of creativity, programming learning approach and programming learning attitude. (3) Learner attitudes, engagement, and approach, and their family economic capital, were strong predictors of creativity, with the strongest influence of learners' attitudes to programming learning and weaker influence of family economic capital. Conclusion: The main factors that influence creativity in the context of programming education are programming teaching method, programming teaching management, programming learning approach, programming learning attitude, programming learning engagement and family economic capital. Among these, learner factors (attitude, engagement, and approach) and family economic capital are the key factors influencing creativity. These findings provide a basis for improving the creativity of Chinese programming learners and inspire teachers to consider learner factors and gender differences as they design and manage their instruction. Furthermore, the influence of family economic capital on the creativity of learners cannot be ignored.

An assessment of students' emotional intelligence, learning outcomes, and academic efficacy: A correlational study in higher education

The purpose of this empirical study is to investigate the effects of Emotional Intelligence (EI) on learning outcomes (social, cognitive, self-growth outcomes and satisfaction with the university experience) of students in Chinese research universities. This study further examines the mediating role of student trust in teachers (emotional and cognitive learning) and learning orientation (commitment to learning) in the relationship between EI and learning outcomes. This intent of this study was to examine the direct effects of learning outcomes on students' academic efficacy (cognitive skills and standardised tests). This study used a sample frame of 454 students from research universities in China. The relationships were tested through the partial least squares' structural equation modelling method. The results reveal that EI has a significant impact on learning outcomes. Furthermore, an indirect relation between EI and learning outcomes is established through student trust in teachers and in the learning orientation. The direct relation between learning outcomes and student academic efficacy is also established. There is a lack of studies that investigate the relationship of EI, student trust in teachers, learning orientation, learning outcomes and student academic efficacy. This is one of the initial research studies that not only empirically examine the interface of EI and learning outcomes of students of Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) but offers insights into the existing literature by concurrent investigation of the mediating role of student trust in teachers and in the learning orientation in fundamental association, while explaining the association between learning outcomes and students' better academic efficacy.

Modeling the mediating roles of self-directed learning and knowledge management processes between emotional intelligence and learning outcomes in higher education

OBJECTIVE

Drawing on the knowledge-based view and ability-based theories of emotional intelligence (EI), in this study, we investigate the effects of EI on learning outcomes related to academics and administrators in Chinese research universities and we also test the direct association between learning outcomes and creative performance. In addition, we examine the mediating role of self-directed learning (SDL) and knowledge management processes (KMPs) on the relationship between EI and learning outcomes.

METHODS

The sample, for this study, consisted of 547 academic and administrative personnel at Chinese higher educational institutions (HEIs), and the hypothesized associations were examined through partial least squares structural equation modeling.

RESULTS

Our results indicated that EI has no significant influence on learning outcomes. However, an indirect relationship between EI and learning outcomes is established through SDL and KMPs.

CONCLUSIONS

This study strengthens the professional understanding of EI and supports that the personnel at HEIs should value SDL and KMPs, which in turn enhances their learning outcomes. Although EI has received increased importance in higher education institutions, there are few studies that have investigated the relationship of EI, SDL, KMP, and learning outcomes. This is one of the initial studies that has empirically examined the interface of EI and learning outcomes in HEIs and also provides timely insights into the understanding of the mediating role of SDL and KMP.