Emotional Intelligence in the Workplace: Exploring its Effects on Occupational Stress and Organisational Commitment
Year: 2006
Type: preprint
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: The recent increased interest from management practitioners on the importance of Emotional Intelligence (EI) at work has led researchers to investigate the impact of this novel explanatory construct. The purpose of the present study is to explore the relationship between emotional intelligence and occupational stress' sources and outcomes on a sample of professionals in mental health institutions. A total of 212 participants were administered the Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire (EIQ) as well as the ASSET, a Organisational Screening Tool, which measures workplace stress. The results were in the expected direction showing a negative correlation between emotional intelligence and stress at work, indicating that high scorers in overall EI suffered less stress related to occupational environment. A positive correlation was also found between emotional intelligence and organisational commitment, which according to the ASSET model is considered as a consequence of stress, suggesting a new role for EI as a determinant of employee loyalty to organisations. Finally, the relationship between EI, job stress and various demographic variables such as gender, age, and education was investigated, and results are discussed in the light of the organisational framework.
Source: SSRN Electronic Journal
Author: Ioannis Nikolaou
Institution: Athens University of Economics and Business
Language: English
Subfield: Social Psychology
Field: Psychology
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W3125832254