Does practicing spirituality at workplace make teachers more engaged? Examining the role of emotional intelligence

PurposeDrawing on the positive activity model, this study aims to investigate the impact of workplace spirituality on the level of engagement shown by the teachers at higher education institutions. This study also tries to explore if emotional intelligence acts as a mediator in the relationship between workplace spirituality and employee engagement.Design/methodology/approachUsing the purposive sampling technique, data were collected from the teachers (N = 287) teaching at various Indian educational institutions imparting tertiary education. The variables under study were measured using standardized instruments. The data were analyzed by means of Statistical Package for Social Sciences 20.0 and Analysis of Moment Structures software tools.FindingsThe findings generated from structural equation modeling analysis revealed that the teachers who practiced spirituality at their workplace were more engaged. Furthermore, emotional intelligence partially mediated this relationship.Practical implicationsThis study underscores the importance of providing a spiritually conducive work milieu and nurturing emotional intelligence among the higher education teachers for better job outcomes.Originality/valueThis study offers insights into the mechanism linking spirituality at the workplace (a positive activity) and employee engagement (an indicator of well-being) in the context of higher education sector.