Purpose The explosion of the deadly coronavirus (COVID-19) has led to an unprecedented crisis lately, which has adversely affected the performance level of professionals in the educational sector worldwide because of numerous constraints, imposition of the lockdown being one of those. Organizational resilience (OReg) and emotional intelligence (EI) discretely have been identified as indicators of employee performance (EP) over the years, but during the period of crisis, it has scarcely been analysed. Therefore, this study aims to examine the mediating role of EI on the relationship between OReg and EP in such a global pandemic. Design/methodology/approach In total, 390 samples including teaching and non-teaching professionals working in higher educational institutions (HEIs) were collected from different HEIs located in India through online survey questionnaires. The collected data was further analysed using regression analysis, factor analysis, structural equation modelling along with bootstrapping technique, reliability and validity analysis, mediation analysis and model fit indices analysis. Findings The results of the study confirmed the partial mediation effect of EI on the OReg-EP relationship, and further results also exhibited that employees with a higher level of EI, contribute more positively to the OReg level, which further enhances the performance level at the workplace. Research limitations/implications The samples collected for the current study pertain to the HEIs only, and therefore the present study results have limited general applicability. Furthermore, the study does not investigate the influence of time. Practical implications This study would assist practitioners of HEIs in improving the resilience capabilities of the organization. EP can be improved by enhancing the levels of OReg and individual emotional intelligence, which is in line with the findings of the current study. Social implications In the COVID-19 pandemic, worldwide the students are affected due to the transition to online teaching. This study will help HEI’s to cope up with the student’s loss by being flexible in approach for the retention of performance of employees by taking care of their emotional needs and focusing on their skill development by providing a learning culture in a depressing time of the pandemic so that students will not suffer due to this rapid change without any preparation or previous experience in a pandemic. Originality/value The current study examines the mediating effect of EI on the OReg and EP relationship for the first time in HEIs in India.

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