Exploring the Mediating Role of Emotional Intelligence in AI Adoption and Job Performance: A Bibliometric Perspective with Evidence from Higher Education in Rajasthan

Abstract

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is rapidly changing the field of higher education, affecting the practice of teaching, the efficiency of administration, and the level of performance in general. Nonetheless, AI implementation is less dependent on technological preparedness and more on human aspects, especially the Emotional Intelligence (EI) that can mediate the implementation impact of AI on employment success. The paper investigates the mediating effect of EI in the relationship between AI adoption and job performance in colleges in Rajasthan. The data is represented and visualised with the help of VOSviewer based on bibliometric analysis of the articles in Scopus and Web of Science databases to map publication trends, the main authors, journal sources, co-occurrence of keywords, and country-year distributions. The findings demonstrate that although the use of AI has a positive correlation with job performance, this correlation is enhanced significantly when increased EI mediates the use of AI. There are major gaps in region-specific empirical research, particularly from Indian states such as Rajasthan, and sectoral differences in higher education research. The implications of the findings are policy policymakers, educational leaders and human resources that undertake AI implementations in higher education. Artificial Intelligence (AI) is being introduced into higher education and it is shaping the teaching, administration, and performance of faculty. This paper will analyze the connection between AI adoption, Emotional Intelligence (EI) and job performance of higher education faculty members in Rajasthan. The bibliometric method was used, and 448 articles found in Scopus (256) and Web of Science (192) between 2010-2024 were analysed. Data analysis was done using the VOSviewer version 1.6.21 and the Bibliometrix R-package version