Enabling Employee Engagement In Lagos’ Private Secondary Schools: Do Emotional Intelligence and Team-Building Competencies in Middle-Level Leaders Matter?

Abstract

In Nigeria’s private secondary schools, employee engagement is often undermined by low morale, limited support, and fragmented workplace culture. While principals typically receive attention as the main agents of change, this study shifts focus to middle-level leaders, such as heads of departments, subject heads, housemasters and housemistresses, whose everyday interactions with staff position them as vital but understudied contributors to school effectiveness. The study aimed to explore whether emotional intelligence and team-building competencies in these middle leaders influence employee engagement in selected government-approved private secondary schools in Lagos State. Using a cross-sectional survey of 582 teaching and non-teaching staff across 18 schools, data were analyzed with Hayes’ PROCESS macro to assess direct and mediating effects. Results showed that both emotional intelligence and team-building competencies had significant positive effects on employee engagement. Notably, team-building competency also mediated the relationship between emotional intelligence and engagement. The findings suggest that building the emotional and relational capacities of middle leaders can foster a more supportive and engaged school workforce. The study recommends leadership development strategies that incorporate emotional intelligence and team-building training to maximise staff commitment and school performance. This study is unique in its empirical focus on middle-level leadership within Nigeria’s secondary education system, an area that has received limited scholarly attention despite its growing relevance.