Title: Social intelligence and individual work performance: a mediator model of Islamic work ethics

Authors: H. Hartini; A. Fakhrorazi; Muhamad Fairuz Ahmad Jasmi; Yudi Fernando; Kamarul Azman Khamis

Addresses: School of International Studies, Universiti Utara Malaysia, Sintok, Malaysia ' Ghazali Shafie Graduate School of Government, Universiti Utara Malaysia, Sintok, Malaysia ' Ghazali Shafie Graduate School of Government, Universiti Utara Malaysia, Sintok, Malaysia ' Faculty of Industrial Management, Universiti Malaysia Pahang, Malaysia; Management Department, BINUS Online Learning, Bina Nusantara University, Indonesia ' Ghazali Shafie Graduate School of Government, Universiti Utara Malaysia, Sintok, Malaysia

Abstract: The application of Islamic work ethics, especially in Islamic countries, has gained considerable attention among scholars further to analyse this variable's influence on various work outcomes. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the relationship between social intelligence (SQ) and individual work performance (IWP) with the mediating role of Islamic work ethics (IWEs) among Malaysian public service employees. The primary data were gathered from respondents using a self-administered questionnaire. A total of 450 questionnaires were distributed, and 174 were usable for further investigation. The purposive sampling method was applied to select the respondents. In analysing the data, we used the PLS-SEM, and the results show that IWE partially mediates the relationship between individual work performance and SQ. The findings provide insight into the critical role of IWE and SQ in improving employee's work performance. Thus, public service organisations in Malaysia should provide positive reinforcements for learning and improving IWE and SQ in the workplace.

Keywords: Islamic work ethics; IWEs; social intelligence; work performance; Malaysian public employees.

DOI: 10.1504/IJBIR.2024.138957

International Journal of Business Innovation and Research, 2024 Vol.34 No.2, pp.235 - 257

Received: 12 Mar 2021
Accepted: 02 Jul 2021
Published online: 05 Jun 2024 *

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