Organizational Commitment as A Mediator of Employee Engagement and Retention Among Non-Teaching Staff: Evidence from Selected Universities in Cebu City

Authors

  • Madelline E. Rico Center of Advanced Studies, Cebu Institute of Technology- University, Cebu City, 6000, Philippines
  • Mark Anthony N. Polinar Center of Advanced Studies, Cebu Institute of Technology- University, Cebu City, 6000, Philippines
  • Alexander Franco A. Delantar Center of Advanced Studies, Cebu Institute of Technology- University, Cebu City, 6000, Philippines
  • Jinky R. Delantar Center of Advanced Studies, Cebu Institute of Technology- University, Cebu City, 6000, Philippines

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.11594/ijmaber.06.10.10

Keywords:

Employee Engagement, Employee Retention, Organizational Commitment, Mediating Analysis, Non-teaching Staff, Structural Equation Modeling, University

Abstract

Employee retention is a critical concern in universities, as frequent turnover is disruptive and increases operational costs. In Cebu City, non-teaching staff play a vital role in sustaining academic services, yet their retention often depends on how engaged and committed they feel toward their institutions. This study examined whether organizational commitment mediates the relationship between employee engagement and employee retention among non-teaching personnel in selected Cebu universities. Using a quantitative correlational design, survey data were gathered from 100 staff members and analyzed through descriptive statistics, Spearman’s rho, and structural equation modeling. Results revealed high engagement, strong organizational commitment, and generally positive retention intentions. Mediation analysis confirmed that while engagement directly predicts retention, commitment strengthens this link by fostering loyalty and value alignment. These findings suggest that recognition, fair policies, and growth opportunities enhance both engagement and commitment, leading to a more stable workforce. The study highlights the importance of non-teaching staff in ensuring institutional continuity and offers insights for higher education administrators on reducing turnover risk.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

Abd-El-Salam, E. (2023). Exploring Factors Affecting Employee Loyalty through the Relationship between Service Quality and Management Commitment: A Case Study Analysis in the Iron and Steel Industry, Al Ezz Dekheila Steel Company, Egypt. Co-gent Business & Management, 10. https://doi.org/10.1080/23311975.2023.2212492.

Aboobaker, N., Edward, M., & Zakkariya, K. (2020). Workplace spirituality and em-ployee loyalty: an empirical investigation among millennials in India. Journal of Asia Business Studies, 14, 211–225. https://doi.org/10.1108/jabs-03-2018-0089.

Ali, A. (2025). Challenges of Strategic Planning in Higher Education Institutions. Edel-weiss Applied Science and Technology. https://doi.org/10.55214/25768484.v9i3.5169.

Ali, F., Nawaz, Z., & Kumar, N. (2023). Internal corporate social responsibility as a

strategic tool for employee engagement in public organizations: Role of empathy and organizational pride. Human Systems Management, 43, 391–406. https://doi.org/10.3233/HSM-230118.

Amalia, N., & Musnadi, S. (2020). Factors Af-fecting Organizational Commitment Me-diated By Employee Loyalty: Study in Aceh Financial Management Board. .https://ijsmr.in/doc/ijsmr_01_6888_68.pdf

Baes, M., Dinglasan, R., Patal, N., Rellama, C., Briones, J., & Verano, J. (2025). Workload and Its Impact on Staff Retention Among Non-Teaching Personnel in Public Ele-mentary Schools in the Philippines. Peo-ple and Behavior Analysis. https://doi.org/10.31098/pba.v3i1.3030

Bentley, P. J., Coates, H., Dobson, I. R., Goedeg-ebuure, L., & Meek, V. L. (2020). Job satis-faction around the academic world. Springer https://www.researchgate.net/publication/346483514_Working_From_Home_Before_During_and_After_the_Covid-19_Pandemic_Implications_for_Workers_and_Organisations

Bezuidenhout, A., & Cilliers, F. (2020). Burn-out, work engagement, and sense of co-herence in female academics in higher-education institutions in South Africa. South African Journal of Industrial Psy-chology https://doi.org/10.1080/14330237.2020.1821308

Bianchi, C., & Caperchione, E. (2022). Perfor-mance Management and Governance in Public Universities: Challenges and Op-portunities. SIDREA Series in Accounting and Business Administration. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-85698-4_1.

Coates, H., & Goedegebuure, L. (2012). Recast-ing the academic workforce: Why the at-tractiveness of the academic profession needs to be increased and eight possible strategies for how to go about this from an Australian perspective. Higher Educa-tion, 64(6), 875–889. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10734-012-9534-3

Damor, S., & Patel, J. (2025). Administrative Issues and Challenges Faced by Higher Education Institutions (HEIs). Interna-tional Journal of Scientific Research in Science, Engineering and Technology. https://doi.org/10.32628/ijsrset24113150.

Durog, M. R. O., & Resurrección, P. F. (2024). Organizational Identification as a Media-tor of Organizational Support, Employee Engagement, and Commitment: The Case of Non-Teaching Employees in the Min-danao State University-Iligan Institute of Technology (MSU-IIT). Journal of HRM, 27(2). DOI: 10.46287/UWWT1370

Ehrenberg, R. G. (2020). The economics of tui-tion and fees in American higher educa-tion. In The Economics of Education (pp. 345–352). Academic Press. https://ecommons.cornell.edu/server/api/core/bitstreams/d0339866-d41f-4b45-9fc2-248b8c7fb1ad/content

Gallup, I. (n.d.). How to improve employee en-gagement in the workplace. Gallup.Com. Retrieved August 30, 2025, from https://www.gallup.com/workplace/285674/improve-employee-engagement-workplace.aspx

Gelle-Jimenez, M., & Jimenez, F. (2024). Under-standing congruence of values: a phe-nomenographic data analysis. Interna-tional Journal of Research in Business and Social Science (2147–4478). https://doi.org/10.20525/ijrbs.v13i5.3488.

Gimeno, D., Geroy, C. Y Prado, N. (2025). Em-ployee Engagement, Job Satisfaction, and Organizational Commitment on Employee Productivity in Higher Education Settings. International Journal of Research and In-novation in Social Science. https://doi.org/10.47772/ijriss.2025.903sedu0177.

Haapakoski, P., Wenström, S., & Uusiautti, S. (2024). The Correlation between Work Engagement and the Positive Organiza-tional PRIDE Index Provides Perspectives on Workplace Development. European Journal of Workplace Innovation. https://doi.org/10.46364/ejwi.v8i2.1259.

Harini, S., Kartini, T., & Aulia, S. (2024). Em-ployee Retention through Organizational Commitment, Work Engagement, and Job Satisfaction. Journal of Economics, Fi-nance, And Management Studies. https://doi.org/10.47191/jefms/v7-i8-64.

Inarda, A. (2022). A mixed-methods study on the influence of quality of work life on commitment and performance. Problems and Perspectives in Management. https://doi.org/10.21511/ppm.20(2).2022.27.

Javed, K., Sana, M., Siddique, W., & Aziz, A. (2020). Determining the Influences of the Employee’s Loyalty in the Organizational Setting. Reviews of Management Sciences. https://doi.org/10.53909/rms.02.02.049

Jia, Y., Yan, J., Liu, T., & Huang, J. (2019). How Does Internal and External CSR Affect Employees’ Work Engagement? Explor-ing Multiple Mediation Mechanisms and Boundary Conditions. International Jour-nal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 16. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph16142476

Jones, S. R. (2023). Financial Challenges in U.S. Higher Education: State Disinvestment and Institutional Responses [Doctoral dissertation, Walden University]. Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies Collec-tion. https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/cgi/viewcon-tent.cgi?article=10530&context=dissertations

Ka, Z., & Aboobaker, N. (2021). Spiritual lead-ership and intention to stay: Examining the mediating role of employee voice be-haviour. Journal of Management Devel-opment, 40(5), 352–364. https://doi.org/10.1108/JMD-05-2019-0182

Kasim, N., Karim, N., Kassim, S., & Idris, R. (2025). The Influence of Organizational Commitment and Employee Engagement on Job Satisfaction Among Lecturers. Quantum Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities. https://doi.org/10.55197/qjssh.v6i1.552

Kimani, B. (2024). Internal Communication Strategies and Employee Engagement. Journal of Public Relations. https://doi.org/10.47941/jpr.1695.

Masterson, C. R. (2016). Organizational Pride: A Multi-Method Examination of the Na-ture, Emergence, and Function of Pride in the Workplace. University of Illinois Chi-cago. https://hdl.handle.net/10027/20929

Manaig, K., Buenvinida, L., Yazon, A., & Bonganciso, R. (2024). Unveiling the link between organizational commitment, professional self-esteem, and work en-gagement of Filipino faculty members in state universities and colleges. HO CHI MINH CITY OPEN UNIVERSITY JOURNAL OF SCIENCE - SOCIAL SCIENCES. https://doi.org/10.46223/hcmcoujs.soci.en.14.1.2772.2024

Milovanska-Farrington, S. (2023). Gender dif-ferences in the association between job characteristics and work satisfaction and retention. American Journal of Business, 38(2), 62–88. https://doi.org/10.1108/AJB-07-2022-0115

Moore, J., & Hanson, W. (2022). Improving leader effectiveness: impact on employee engagement and retention. Journal of Management Development. https://doi.org/10.1108/jmd-02-2021-0041.

Mugizi, W., Rwothumio, J., Waiswa, M., & Turyahikayo, W. (2022). Talent Manage-ment: The Game Changer for Work En-gagement of Non-Teaching Workforce at Kyambogo University, Uganda. The Uganda Higher Education Review. https://doi.org/10.58653/nche.v10i1.10.

Musselin, C. (2018). The long march of French universities. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.1093/ser/mwy033

Namusoke, G., Kibedi, H., Namusoke, J., Kam-baza, S. & Nakanwagi, C. C. (2024). The role of Organisational Justice and Men-torship in Turnover Intentions of Non-Teaching Staff in Universities: The case of Kyambogo University, Uganda. East Afri-can Journal of Interdisciplinary Studies, 7(1), 216–230. https://doi.org/10.37284/eajis.7.1.2047.

Ogbogu, C. O. (2017). The Effects of Under-funding on Staff Morale in Nigerian Uni-versities. Journal of Higher Education in Africa, 15(2), 55–72. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/315907044_The_Effects_of_Motivation_on_Staff_Job_Performance_Evidences_from_the_Lagos_State_Ministry_of_Environment_Nigeria

Omar, M. (2021). Determining The Factors of Employee’s Commitment and Loyalty in A Malaysian Internet-based Company. Ad-vances in Social Sciences Research Journal. https://doi.org/10.14738/assrj.86.10164.

Omega, R. M., & Mutua (Ph.D), Dr. M. (2018). Influence of Management Practices on Employee Engagement among Non-Teaching Staff Members in Selected Public Universities in Kenya. Strategic Journal of Business & Change Management, 5(3). https://doi.org/10.61426/sjbcm.v5i3.866

Otoo, F., & Rather, N. (2024). Human Resource Development Practices and Employee Engagement: The Mediating Role of Or-ganizational Commitment. Rajagiri Man-agement Journal. https://doi.org/10.1108/ramj-09-2023-0267.

Pereira, L., Patrício, V., Sempiterno, M., Da Costa, R., Dias, Á., & António, N. (2021). How to Build Pride in the Workplace?. Social Sciences. https://doi.org/10.3390/SOCSCI10030104.

Piyasena, K., & Kottawatta, H. (2018). Does Employee Engagement Affect Organiza-tional Commitment? Evidence from Non-

Academics in Sri Lankan State Universi-ties. Human Resource Management Jour-nal, 6. https://doi.org/10.31357/HRMJ.V6I2.3588.

Rasheed, M., Hookmani, A., Waleed, S., Fatima, H., Siddiqui, S., Khurram, M., & Hasan, B. (2021). Implementation and Evaluation of a Social Media-Based Communication Strategy to Enhance Employee Engage-ment: Experiences From a Children's Hospital, Pakistan. Frontiers in Public Health, 9. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2021.584179.

Sakthivel, A. (2025). Study of employee en-gagement and management. Internation-al Journal For Multidisciplinary Research. https://doi.org/10.36948/ijfmr.2025.v07i02.42636.

Shirina, S., Bali, R., Singh, Y., Singh, P., & Kadyan, S. (2024). Exploring the connec-tion among employee performance, em-ployee retention, and employee engage-ment within higher education institutions (HEIs). Journal of Information and Opti-mization Sciences. https://doi.org/10.47974/jios-1474.

Shirisha, A., & Lavanya, D. (2025). Exploring The Connection Between Employee En-gagement and Retention in the Work-place Towards It Industry. International Journal of Research Publication and Re-views. https://doi.org/10.55248/gengpi.6.0425.1612.

Sturm, R., Jolly, P., & Williams, S. (2022). It’s a Matter of Organizational Pride: How Per-ceptions of Organizational Virtuousness and Competence Affect Employee Behav-iors. Journal of Business and Psychology, 37, 1079–1097. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10869-021-09786-9.

Sulistyawati, U., & Sufriadi, D. (2020). Per-ceived Organization Support Towards Employee Engagement and The Impact of Employee Job Satisfaction. , 4, 513. https://doi.org/10.23887/ijssb.v4i4.28587.

Swanepoel, K., & Saurombe, M. D. (2022). The significance of an employee value propo-sition in the retention of teachers at se-lected South African private schools. South African Journal of Economic and Management Sciences, 25(1). https://doi.org/10.4102/sajems.v25i1.4358

Tyagi, N. (2021). Aligning organizational cul-ture to enhance managerial effectiveness of academic leaders: An interface for em-ployee engagement and retention. Inter-national Journal of Educational Manage-ment, 35(7), 1387–1404. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJEM-10-2020-0447

UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning. (2023). *The Role of Higher Education Institutions for Lifelong Learning*. Re-trieved August 29, 2025, from https://www.uil.unesco.org/en/role-higher-education-institutions-lifelong-learning

Uwannah, N., & Fadairo, A. (2023). Recogni-tion and Mentorship as Contributors to Retention in Academia: A Case of Non-Teaching Staff of Universities in Ogun State, Nigeria. The International Journal of Humanities & Social Studies. https://doi.org/10.24940/theijhss/2023/v11/i8/hs2308-013.

Välimaa, J. (2021). Quality assurance and aca-demic work in higher education: A Euro-pean perspective. European Journal of Education. 53(3–4), 168–180. https://doi.org/10.1080/10564934.2022.2080563

Vas, E. G., & Mohan, S. (2022). Sustained en-gagement for employee retention in edu-cation industry. International Journal of Health Sciences, 2883–2893. https://doi.org/10.53730/ijhs.v6nS3.6202

Wang, Y. M., Ahmad, W., Arshad, M., Yin, H. L., Ahmed, B., & Ali, Z. (2021). Impact of co-ordination, psychological safety, and job security on employees’ performance: The moderating role of coercive pressure. Sustainability, 13(6), 3175. https://doi.org/10.3390/su13063175

Wilkins, S., Butt, M., & Annabi, C. (2017). The Effects of Employee Commitment in Transnational Higher Education: The Case of International Branch Campuses. Journal of Studies in International Educa-tion, 21, 295–314. https://doi.org/10.1177/1028315316687013.

Zanabazar, A., Yondonrenchin, M., & Baljinnyam, E. (2023). The impact of leadership styles on employee loyalty and engagement. European Journal of Busi-ness and Management Research, 8(4), 94–100. https://doi.org/10.24018/ejbmr.2023.8.4.2048

Downloads

Published

2025-10-23

How to Cite

Rico, M. E., Polinar, M. A. N. ., Delantar, A. F. A., & Delantar, J. R. . (2025). Organizational Commitment as A Mediator of Employee Engagement and Retention Among Non-Teaching Staff: Evidence from Selected Universities in Cebu City. International Journal of Multidisciplinary: Applied Business and Education Research, 6(10), 4974-4987. https://doi.org/10.11594/ijmaber.06.10.10