TEAM-BUILDING COMPETENCIES AND JOB SATISFACTION IN HIGHER EDUCATION: THE ROLES OF LEADERSHIP AND TECHNOLOGY IN A HUMAN-CENTERED FRAMEWORK

This study investigates how human-centered competencies and leadership behaviors shape job satisfaction within private universities in Bangladesh. Drawing on Social Exchange Theory and the Job Demands–Resources (JD–R) model, the research examines the influence of team-building competencies (TBC) and personal effectiveness (PE) on job satisfaction (JS), alongside the potential mediating effects of transformational/digital leadership (TDL) and technology adoption (TA). Using survey data from 302 academic and administrative employees analyzed via Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM), the results demonstrate that TBC significantly enhances JS, while PE exerts no direct influence. Contrary to expectations, TDL and TA do not mediate this relationship, indicating that relational and collaborative competencies remain central to employee satisfaction in digitally evolving organizations. The study contributes to OB/HRM research by highlighting the primacy of human factors in driving well-being and performance amid technological transformation in higher education institutions