Creating civic and public engagement by a proper balance between emotional, rational, and spiritual knowledge

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the generation of civic and public (C&P) engagement as an integrative outcome of a proper balance between emotional, rational and spiritual knowledge, via the mediation of interpersonal competencies. Design/methodology/approach The empirical analysis relies on a questionnaire-based survey conducted with 294 respondents from two knowledge-intensive organizations. Structural equation modeling, using Smart PLS 4, is used to analyze the data. Findings Individual knowledge can be considered as the refined outcome of the underlying transformations of various knowledge sources and resources, which is apposite for the next level of knowledge workers’ acumen. Individual knowledge – which relies on a good balance of rational, emotional and spiritual knowledge – exerts a positive effect on interpersonal competencies, wherein the latter positively influences the C&P engagement of knowledge workers. Research limitations/implications Policymakers should capitalize on the development of strong interpersonal competencies; they should be able to understand the social mechanisms of motivating people, of stimulating, harnessing and channeling individual knowledge toward higher C&P as a prerequisite of value creation. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first argumentative undertaking intended to explore the conversion of the three knowledge types into individual knowledge as a premise of interpersonal competencies development and as a relevant antecedent of C&P engagement. The results of this paper support that achieving balance in one's life is essential for increasing interpersonal competencies and C&P engagement. This study not only represents the first contribution to this debate but also helps managers and organizations to recognize that a good balance requires emotional, rational and spiritual knowledge.