Impact of emotional intelligence on SME employees’ performance: Mediating role of organizational citizenship behavior

This study delves into the intricate correlation between emotional intelligence and employee performance within the dynamic setting of Saudi small and medium enterprises. Acknowledging the increasing importance of emotional intelligence in the workplace, this study examines how emotional intelligence influences employee performance, with particular attention to the mediating role of organizational citizenship behavior. Employing a comprehensive research framework, the study integrates quantitative methods to analyze data collected from 248 employees across various Saudi-based small and medium enterprises. The findings indicate that high emotional intelligence enhances employee performance, with organizational citizenship behavior serving as a crucial mediator, strengthening the positive impact of emotional intelligence on performance. The results demonstrated a robust positive correlation with organizational citizenship behavior (β = 0.719***) and a moderate positive correlation with employee performance (β = 0.314***). In addition, organizational citizenship behavior played a significant positive mediating role between employee intelligence and employee performance (β = 0.397***). This suggests a nuanced interplay among emotional intelligence, organizational citizenship behavior, and overall employee performance within the specific context of Saudi small and medium enterprises. Acknowledgment The authors extend their appreciation to the Deanship of Scientific Research at Northern Border University, Arar, KSA, for funding this research work through project number NBU-FFR- 1502-03.