The Mediating Effect of Work Engagement in the Link between Affective Commitment and Employee Competence in Nigeria Universal Basic Education system

Competency is seen as the fundamental feature of individuals which described their job skill, attitude and knowledge. The main aim of this paper is to explore the mediating effect of work engagement (WE) in the link between affective commitment and employee competence (EC) in Nigerian Universal Basic Education system Administration (UBESA). In spite of the importance of affective commitment as an essential practice impelling EC in organisations, prior studies mainly consider other internal factors such as leadership, management practices, and job satisfaction among others. Studies that attempt to examine the influence of affective commitment on EC as well as the mechanism through which it influences EC seem to be scarce in the literature. The current study used WE as a mediating variable in explaining the relationship between affective commitment and EC as well as establishing the link between the given variables. The paper employed the Ability Motivation Opportunity (AMO) theory and Social Exchange theory (SET) in emphasizing the impact of practices that are capable of enhancing EC, as well as understanding employee’s behaviour and their relationship with their organisation in the quest for achieving success. A quantitative survey method was used, while data were collected within six states UBESA (Jigawa, Kano, Kaduna, Katsina, Sokoto and Zamfara states) in North Western region of Nigeria. Data was analysed with a total number of 387 questionnaires using SPSS-AMOS software-24. The findings indicated that WE mediate the relationship between affective commitment and EC. In conclusion, the study made some vital suggestions for future studies.