TEAMWORK AND ACADEMIC STAFF PERFORMANCE:THE ROLE OF EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT IN PRIVATE AND FAITH-BASEDINSTITUTIONS WITHIN BUGANDA REGION (PAFI)

Abstract

The study sought to investigate the mediating role of employee engagement in the relationship
between teamwork and academic staff performance in private and faith-based institutions (PAFI) in
the Buganda region. Researchers developed a measurement model to explain the hypothesized
relationships and tested the research hypotheses using partial least squares structural equation
modeling (SEM) with Smart PLS4. We also used bootstrapping to test the direct and indirect effects
of the associations. This study employed descriptive, correlational, and cross-sectional research
designs using a quantitative approach. The target population was 127 academic staff, out of which 96
respondents were randomly selected. The results revealed that teamwork directly associates
significantly with academic staff performance (β = 0.567, P-value = 0.000 < 0.05). However, the
study did not support the indirect or mediation effect through employee engagement, as the
association between employee engagement and academic staff performance was not significant. This
is because the resulting P value of 0.4 is greater than the threshold of 0.05. This means that employee
engagement does not mediate the relationship between teamwork and academic staff performance.
Therefore, the social exchange theory seeks to clarify the relationship between teamwork and
academic staff performance through employee engagement; however, the study's findings do not
support the mediating role of employee engagement between these two variables. Further
investigation is required to examine alternative mechanisms by which employee engagement may
serve as a mediating factor in a university context, considering variables such as psychological
contracts and employee mindsets, grounded in credible theories and empirical findings.