Mediating role of employee engagement on

the relationship between succession

planning practice and employee
performance in academic institutions: PLS-
SEM approach
Mohammed Sani Abdullahi, Kavitha Raman, Sakiru Adebola Solarin 
Journal of Applied Research in Higher Education

ISSN: 2050-7003

Article publication date: 29 April 2021 

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Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to examine the effect of succession planning practice (SPP) on
employee engagement (EE) and employee performance (EP) in Malaysian private universities
(MPU).

Design/methodology/approach
This paper used a survey research design, and the study unit of the analysis consists of the
academic staff of MPU. In the selection of the sample from the focused respondents (10,473) of
the study, a stratified and simple random sampling method was used, and the study sample
consists of 314 MPU academic staff. A questionnaire was used to collect data from the focused
respondents while partial least square–structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) was used to
test the study hypotheses.

Findings
The findings revealed that SPP has a significant effect on EP, and the relationship between
SPP and EP is partially mediated by EE.

Practical implications
Sound succession systems for achieving academic staff performance should be put in place by
the university management. Furthermore, the outcome of this research urges the policymaker to
come up with a sound policy that can allow internal talents of the university to hold key
leadership positions of any nature when the need arises before considering external talents,
with that the talents will be satisfied and put decisive effort to achieve a positive result.
Originality/value
This paper has made a significant contribution to the knowledge and operationalization of the
EE, EP and SPP literature. The research also assists the university management to mobilize
qualified and talented staff for an unexpected and sudden resignation of staff which saves the
university the cost of hiring and development, and at the same time, it encourages internal
hiring.

Keywords
 Succession planning practice

 Employee performance

 Employee engagement

 Social exchange theory

 Self-determination theory

 Malaysian private universities

Citation
Abdullahi, M.S., Raman, K. and Solarin, S.A. (2021), "Mediating role of employee engagement
on the relationship between succession planning practice and employee performance in
academic institutions: PLS-SEM approach", Journal of Applied Research in Higher Education,
Vol. ahead-of-print No. ahead-of-print. https://doi.org/10.1108/JARHE-02-2021-0056