Summary:
The main objective of this study was to determine if there is a direct relationship between emotional intelligence and an individual’s job performance. For this, a group of 368 academics from private institutions of higher education in Malaysia was taken as a sample. The data to evaluate the results were obtained through self-administered surveys with structured questions and the Role-Based Performance Scale (RBPS) to measure the performance of employees within their organizations.
The study proposed as a dependent variable the job performance of academics in their different roles in educational institutions, and as independent variables of the research the following five skills, which are presumed to have a high degree of influence on a person’s job performance.
- Intrapersonal skills: refer to the ability to manage and control our own emotions and feelings in the face of various situations and people
- Interpersonal skills: refer to the ability of an individual to decipher and manage the emotions of others in order to avoid conflict and build strong relationships.
- Stress management: refers to a set of techniques and skills that help people to properly manage stress and the factors that cause it in order to minimize its effects.
- Adaptability: refers to the ability of a person to accept and adequately adjust to the changes that may occur in their environment, as well as to deal with them with a positive attitude.
- General mood: refers to the way or attitude with which a person reflects their thoughts and perceptions in a given period of time
The study carried out concluded that the five independent variables analyzed have a positive influence on the dependent variable, the work performance of an individual. This implies that those academics who presented higher levels of emotional intelligence have better performance evaluations than those with lower levels, despite the fact that their intelligence quotient (IQ) results were similar.
How does the article apply to other workplaces?
The previous study took as a sample higher education academics since their work requires daily interactions with students; and therefore, a high degree of emotional intelligence is essential to be successful. However, the results found can be applied to all jobs and organizations because interpersonal relationships will always be present, and people need to know how to handle them properly. Although we must all develop our emotional intelligence to succeed in our personal and professional life, these skills are particularly important for leadership and managerial positions, where high levels of emotional intelligence are closely linked to superior performance in the job.
Personal Opinion:
From my point of view, emotional intelligence is a crucial factor to be successful on a personal, academic, and professional level as it allows you to adequately handle challenging situations. Because my field of study is in human resources, developing these skills will allow me to perform better in the workplace and access growth opportunities more easily, as well as correctly handle the conflicts that may arise in daily work.
Reference:
Chong, S, Falahat, M. & Lee, Y. (2019, November 13). Emotional Intelligence and Job Performance of Academicians in Malaysia. International Journal of Higher Education, 9(1), 69 – 80. https://doi.org/10.5430/ijhe.v9n1p69
Emotional Intelligence and the Workplace 