THE INFLUENCE OF WORK ENVIRONMENT ON WORK ENGAGEMENT THE MEDIATING ROLE OF ORGANIZATIONAL COMMITMENT IN HIGHER EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS (HEIS) IN ADAMAWA STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract

This study examines the influence of work environment on work engagement, with a specific focus on the mediating role of organizational commitment among academic and administrative employees in higher educational institutions in Adamawa State, Nigeria. Employee engagement is a conner stoner for institutional performance, and understanding how workplace conditions foster commitment and engagement is essential for developing effective human resource management strategies. The study adopts a quantitative research design, utilizing a structured Likert-scale questionnaire to measure Work Environment (WENV), Organizational Commitment (OGCO), and Work Engagement (WENG). Data were collected from 328 respondents from Federal Polytechnic and College of Health Technology Mubi, Adamawa state and analysed using Hayes PROCESS Model 4 (Version 4.2) in SPSS. This model was used to examine the direct, indirect, and mediating effects of organizational commitment in the relationship between work. The key findings of the study are; Work environment has a significant positive influence on work engagement (β = 0.7632, p < .001), indicating that employees in supportive and resourceful environments exhibit higher levels of enthusiasm, dedication, and involvement in their work while work environment significantly enhances organizational commitment (β = 0.7443, p < .001), suggesting that employees in conducive work environments develop stronger loyalty and attachment to their institutions. In furtherance, organizational commitment significantly influences work engagement (β = 0.5112, p < .001), confirming that committed employees are more likely to be engaged in their roles. Lastly, organizational commitment partially mediates the relationship between work environment and work engagement (Indirect Effect = 0.5015, BootLLCI = 0.3896, BootULCI = 0.6160), meaning that work environment not only directly influences engagement but also indirectly enhances it by fostering organizational commitment. Hence, based on the findings the study recommends that the management of these institutions should improve work environments by ensuring adequate resources, participatory leadership, and fair workplace policies as well as strengthen employee commitment programs through career development opportunities, recognition systems, and inclusive decision-making structures.