Empathy and Work Behaviour of Teaching Staff of State Universities in South East, Nigeria

This study investigated the relationship between empathy and work behaviour of teaching staff in state-owned universities in South-East Nigeria. Empathy, a core component of emotional intelligence, is essential for fostering adaptability, engagement, and effective task performance among lecturers. Despite its recognized relevance, limited empirical evidence exists on how empathy shapes lecturers’ work behaviour within Nigerian state universities. The study adopted a survey research design with a sample of 384 respondents drawn from eight state universities using Cochran’s formula and convenience sampling. Data were collected through a structured questionnaire, validated through expert review and pilot testing, and its reliability confirmed with Cronbach’s alpha values ranging from 0.825 to 0.930. Descriptive statistics and Spearman Rank rho correlation were employed for analysis. Findings revealed a strong, positive, and statistically significant relationship between empathy and adaptability, a very strong and significant relationship between empathy and work engagement, and a very strong, positive, and significant relationship between empathy and task performance. The study concludes that empathy enhances lecturers’ behavioural effectiveness, thereby strengthening teaching quality and institutional performance. It recommends the integration of empathy training into professional development programs, promotion of mentorship and peer-support initiatives, and the inclusion of empathy as a criterion in performance appraisal systems.