The role of emotional intelligence in the relationship between employee commitment, engagement, abusive supervision and employee agility

Abstract

In an era of escalating complexity and uncertainty, employee agility has become critical for national security institutions operating under dynamic conditions. This study presents a novel, empirically grounded investigation into how employee commitment, engagement, and abusive supervision shape employee agility within Ghana's security services, and how emotional intelligence moderates these relationships. Using data from 1032 personnel across the Police, Military, Fire, and Immigration Services, the study applies Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) to test a multi-theoretical model informed by Social Exchange Theory, Affective Events Theory, and Emotional Intelligence Theory. The findings show that commitment, engagement, and emotional intelligence significantly enhance agility, while abusive supervision impairs it. Emotional intelligence also strengthens the positive effects of commitment and engagement on agility but does not significantly buffer the negative effects of abusive supervision. This study advances the literature by positioning emotional intelligence as a resilience-enabling resource in a high-power distance, public-sector context-a domain rarely explored in agility research. The results offer actionable insights for designing emotionally intelligent leadership and HR practices to enhance workforce adaptability in security institutions across Africa and other emerging economies.