EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT AND ORGANISATIONAL PERFORMANCE: EXAMINING THE MEDIATING ROLE OF ORGANIZATIONAL CITIZENSHIP BEHAVIOUR IN THE NIGERIAN CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY

Abstract

Employee engagement has been widely recognised as a strategic driver of organisational performance, yet the behavioural mechanisms through which this relationship operates remain insufficiently explored in labour-intensive industries within developing economies. Grounded in Kahn's (1990) Psychological Engagement Theory and Social Exchange Theory, this study examines how employee engagement, operationalized through vigor, dedication, and absorption, influences organisational performance, with Organisational Citizenship Behaviour (OCB) as a mediating variable, in the Nigerian construction industry. A quantitative cross-sectional survey design was adopted. Data were collected from 176 employees across two purposively selected construction firms in Abuja, Nigeria- T.E.A.M. (Nigeria) Ltd and Jumob Nigeria Limited, representing a response rate of 87.6%. The Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES-9) and adapted instruments measuring OCB and organisational performance (cost efficiency, quality output, safety compliance, timely delivery, and client satisfaction) were used. Data were analysed using multiple regression and bootstrapped mediation analysis via Hayes' PROCESS macro (Model 4, 5,000 samples). Results reveal that all three engagement dimensions exert significant positive effects on organisational performance: absorption (β = .409, p < .001) emerged as the strongest predictor, followed by dedication (β = .326, p < .001) and vigor (β = .184, p = .004), together explaining 65.8% of the variance in performance (R² = .658). OCB significantly and partially mediated the engagement-performance relationship (indirect effect = .289, 95% Boot CI [.188, .400]), with the full model accounting for 71.4% of performance variance. The study contributes novel empirical evidence to the engagement-performance literature in a Sub-Saharan African construction context and offers actionable implications for HR practitioners and construction managers.