EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE AS A PREDICTOR OF ORGANISATIONAL COMMITMENT: MEDIATING INFLUENCE OF WORK-LIFE BALANCE IN INDIAN IT SECTOR

Abstract

This study investigates the role of Emotional Intelligence (EI) as a key predictor of Organisational Commitment (OC), with Work-Life Balance (WLB) serving as a mediating variable among employees in the Indian Information Technology (IT) sector. Drawing on data collected from 425 respondents across major IT hubs, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Chennai, and Pune, the research adopts a quantitative, cross-sectional design and employs Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) to test the hypothesized relationships. The results reveal that EI has a significant direct effect on both WLB and OC. Moreover, WLB partially mediates the relationship between EI and OC, indicating that emotionally intelligent employees are more likely to maintain a healthy work-life balance, which in turn enhances their commitment to the organization. These findings underscore the importance of integrating emotional intelligence development and work-life balance initiatives into organizational practices to foster long-term employee engagement and loyalty. The study contributes to the theoretical understanding of psychological resources in organizational behavior and offers actionable insights for human resource management in high-demand knowledge sectors. While the research is limited by its cross-sectional design and reliance on self-reported data, it lays the groundwork for future longitudinal and multi-sectoral studies exploring the dynamic interplay between emotional competencies and organizational outcomes.