EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE BUFFERS STRESS: A STUDY ON EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE AND COPING STYLES

Abstract

Emotional Intelligence is the ability to restrain negative feelings of anger, stress and anxiety, and focus on positive feelings of patience, confidence and empathy. Emotional Intelligence has an impact on work-related outcomes as employees are stressed and insecure in work environment. Coping Styles refer to what a person thinks or does to manage an emotional encounter. It can be described in terms of responses, tactics, strategies, cognitions or behavior. The purpose of this project is to find out the relationship between Emotional Intelligence and Coping Styles. Emotional intelligence (EI) plays an important role in coping with stress and improving the performance of the individual. The standardized questionnaires on Emotional Intelligence and Coping Styles were used to collect the primary data. The secondary data was collected from research papers and journals.150 employees from IT sector were taken as sample for the study. Correlation and regression through SPSS were conducted to analyze and interpret the result. The obtained values of (r =.42) and (R square =.18) reflect that Emotional Intelligence has a moderate positive relationship with coping styles for stress in the employees of IT industry and there may be other factors also which affect the coping styles of the individuals in the organization. The present research can be further extended to study the other factors which affect the coping styles of the individuals.

Full text

EXCEL International Journal of Multidisciplinary Management Studies ________________ ISSN 2249- 8834
EIJMMS, Vol.3 (11), November (2013)
Online available at zenithresearch.org.in
76
EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE BUFFERS STRESS: A STUDY ON
EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE AND COPING STYLES
DR.HARMINDER KAUR GUJRAL
AMITY BUSINESS SCHOOL
AMITY UNUVERSITY
ABSTRACT
Emotional Intelligence is the ability to restrain negative feelings of anger, stress and anxiety, and
focus on positive feelings of patience, confidence and empathy. Emotional Intelligence has an
impact on work-related outcomes as employees are stressed and insecure in work environment.
Coping Styles refer to what a person thinks or does to manage an emotional encounter. It can be
described in terms of responses, tactics, strategies, cognitions or behavior. The purpose of this
project is to find out the relationship between Emotional Intelligence and Coping Styles.
Emotional intelligence (EI) plays an important role in coping with stress and improving the
performance of the individual. The standardized questionnaires on Emotional Intelligence and
Coping Styles were used to collect the primary data. The secondary data was collected from
research papers and journals.150 employees from IT sector were taken as sample for the study.
Correlation and regression through SPSS were conducted to analyze and interpret the result. The
obtained values of (r =.42) and (R square =.18) reflect that Emotional Intelligence has a
moderate positive relationship with coping styles for stress in the employees of IT industry and
there may be other factors also which affect the coping styles of the individuals in the
organization. The present research can be further extended to study the other factors which affect
the coping styles of the individuals.
KEYWORDS: Emotional Intelligence, Coping Styles, Tactics, Environment.
______________________________________________________________________________
Introduction
Emotional Intelligence is a social intelligence that may be learned, developed and improved.
Emotional Intelligence includes an ability to monitor one's own and others' feelings and
emotions, to discriminate among them and to use this information to guide one's thinking and
actions. It has become increasingly clear that traditional intelligence (and IQ) is not enough to
determine success. As the world becomes increasingly inter-connected, people need to work far
more co-operatively. It is now recognized that, to manage, relate and work with others, a
different set of skills are required. It is Emotional Intelligence, which is filling this gap. Bar-On
(1997) defines emotional intelligence as an array of non-cognitive capabilities, competencies and
skills. These influence one's ability to cope with environmental demands and pressures.
Emotional Intelligence is concerned with our:
 knowledge of ourselves – self-awareness;
 knowledge of others – emotional literacy;

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 ability to mange ourselves – self-regulation or self-control;
 ability to mange others – social skills;
 ability to motivate ourselves – energy, drive, creativity and self-motivation;
 ability to motivate others – influence, inspiration and leadership.
Emotional Intelligence (EI) has been recently validated with major skill areas that can influence
career and create abilities that improve the worth of the employees at work. Emotional
intelligence matters twice as much as technical and analytic skill combined for star
performances. And the higher people move up in the company, the more crucial emotional
intelligence becomes. Bosses and leaders, in particular, need high EQ because they represent the
organization to the public, they interact with the highest number of people within and outside the
organization and they set the tone for employee morale. Leaders with empathy are able to
understand their employee’s needs and provide them with constructive feedback.
Developing emotional intelligence in the workplace means acknowledging, that emotions are
always present and doing something intelligent with them. People vary enormously in their skill
with which they use their own emotions and react to the emotions of others—and that makes the
difference .Stress being viewed by the researchers as internal demands that exceed personal
resources, while coping being viewed as emphasizing psychological strengths that enable a
person to cope with stress (Pike, 2003; Strümpfer, 2003). Coping style refers to what a person
thinks or does to try to manage an emotional encounter. It can be described in terms of strategies,
tactics, responses, cognitions, or behavior. Coping strategies are defined as cognitive and
behavioral tactics employed by individuals to work with real or perceived problems and
difficulties. Organizations have to survive in an environment characterized by increased global
competition, ongoing developments in organizations, and a drive for greater cost-effectiveness,
and increased competitiveness in the workplace. At workplaces people are constantly feel
stressed and insecure. The mechanism which allows a person to survive an emotionally painful
environment also makes it difficult for them to respond sensitively and empathetically towards
others. Stress affects employer’s and employee’s performance which questions the survival of
both because if the work efficiency of the employees is reduced, there would be a great fall in
productivity and it directly affects the employer also. This affects the organizational performance
in an increasingly competitive market. It is therefore, an essential task for management to deal
effectively and prevent the disaster. Organizations constantly have to implement changes in
structure, strategy, culture and process to ensure continued organizational performance and to
maintain the competitive advantage. Change is thus not only about the implementation of new
systems and processes but also about the people within this environment; how the individuals
behave, what they think, how they interact, their perceptions and their ability to handle the
changing environment. The workplace had become a high stress environment in most of the
organizations. Employees are experiencing high level of stress due to various factors such as
high workload, high targets, type of work, tight deadlines, lack of job satisfaction; long working
hours, pressure to perform, etc. Interpersonal conflicts at the workplace, boss-subordinate
relationships and relationships with peers, are also a source of stress.
Kumar & Rooprai (2009) conducted a study to analyze if emotional intelligence is a predictor in
managing stress and anxiety. Emotional Intelligence Scale, Stress Inventory and General Anxiety
test were used for the measurement of all the variables. Emotions play an integral part in
managing stress and anxiety at workplace. It highlighted the need for examination of the
relationship of emotional intelligence as an overarching concept to the management of stress.

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Descriptive statistics, Correlation and Regression analysis were conducted for data analysis.
Results indicate that there was a significant relationship between Emotional Intelligence and the
variables of Stress. Stress management component and anxiety component; emerge as
statistically significant with respect to the relationship with Emotional Intelligence. Studies
conducted with nurses and nursing students show that emotional intelligence is a skill that
minimises the negative stress consequences. The results indicate positive correlations between
clarity and social support, social support and repair, and social support and well-being. Clarity
and emotional repair are predictors of social support and emotional repair is the main predictor
of well-being. These results show the importance of perceived emotional intelligence in stress
management (Montes-Berges & Augusto, 2007). 'Managing our emotions, and relating to others,
are among the greatest challenges that we face in life' (Lopes & Salovey, 2004) conducted a
study to understand the relationship between emotional intelligence (EI) and coping styles with
stress. All participants completed the Emotional Intelligence Scale (EIS) and the Tehran coping
styles Scale (TCSS). The results revealed that EI was positively associated with problem-focused
and positive emotional focused coping styles, and negatively associated with negative emotional
focused coping styles. EI is supposed to influence coping strategies through regulation and
management of emotions, utilization and facilitation of emotions, and appraisal of emotions.
Saras et al, (2009) analyzed the relationship between emotional intelligence and stress
management in a group of managers. The general aim of this research was to determine whether
there is a relationship between emotional intelligence and stress management in a group of
managers. This was done through a quantitative study of the relationship between stress
management and emotional intelligence. These constructs were operationalised by means of a
combination of scales present in the Feelings and Emotions domain of the Occupational
Personality Questionnaire (OPQ32i) and the Emotional Quotient Inventory (Bar-On EQ-). The
correlation and regression results seem to indicate that stress management (the ability to cope
with stress) is a component of emotional intelligence, while stress can be either an input or an
outflow of emotional intelligence or the lack thereof.
Corser et al (2005) examined the association between emotional intelligence (emotion-relevant
abilities) and stress (feelings of inability to control life events), considering personality (self-
perception of the meta-emotion traits of clarity, intensity, and attention) as a moderating variable.
Emotional intelligence is potentially helpful in reducing stress for some individuals, but
unnecessary or irrelevant for others. Campbell et al, (2007) explored the relationship between
emotional intelligence and ways of coping in adolescents. Emotional competence was associated
with the use of adaptive coping strategies. Adolescents higher in emotional intelligence were
more likely to use adaptive coping strategies when faced with stressful situations. Those who use
emotional intelligence to guide their thoughts and actions find it easy to adjust in stressful
conditions. These individuals have increased self control skills, empathetic skills, self awareness,
to be more likely to engage in adaptive coping strategy, and in turn report reduced levels of
psychological distress. Studies conducted with nurses and nursing students show that emotional
intelligence is a skill that minimizes the negative stress consequences. The results indicate
positive correlations between clarity and social support, social support and repair, and social
support and well-being. Clarity and emotional repair are predictors of social support and
emotional repair is the main predictor of well-being. These results show the importance of
perceived emotional intelligence in stress management (Montes-Berges & Augusto, 2007). Kim
et al, (2010) studied the relationship between emotional intelligence (EI) and coping styles using

EXCEL International Journal of Multidisciplinary Management Studies ________________ ISSN 2249- 8834
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an adult, hospitality industry population. The hierarchical regression indicates that EI is by far
the most dominant predictor of task coping among all selected explanatory variables; EI does not
have much influence on emotion coping after the entry of two basic personality traits
(neuroticism and extraversion); and EI is significantly related to avoidance coping encompassing
social diversion and distraction. The study also revealed the critical role played by demographic
characteristics (experience, age and gender) in individual coping efforts.
Based on literature review an attempt has been made to conduct a descriptive research to study
the relationship between Emotional Intelligence and Coping styles for stress using standardized
questionnaires for Emotional Intelligence and Coping Styles for stress.
Objectives
 To assess the level of Emotional Intelligence of the employees.
 To analysis the coping styles of the employees.
 To examine the relationship between Emotional Intelligence and coping styles.
Major Hypothesis
Ho: There exists no relationship between Emotional Intelligence and coping styles of the
employees.
H1: There exists a relationship between Emotional Intelligence and coping styles of the
employees.
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
Sample Size: 150 participants from IT sector.
Sample Design: Convenience sampling.
Research instruments:
Two standardized questionnaires one on Emotional Intelligence and other on Coping Styles
were taken as instruments for the study.
DATA ANALYSIS
Data was analyzed using SPSS package. Pearson correlation coefficient was used to assess the
relationship between Emotional Intelligence and Coping styles, and Regression analysis was
conducted to study the impact of Emotional Intelligence on Coping Styles of the employees of IT
sector.

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Table: 1 Correlation Analysis
Correlations
Emotional
intelligence
Coping styles
Emotional
intelligence
Pearson
Correlation
1
.424**
Sig. (2-tailed)
.000
N
150
150
Coping styles
Pearson
Correlation
.424**
1
Sig. (2-tailed)
.000
N
150
150
**. Correlation is significant at the 0.01 level
(2-tailed).
Interpretation - Table shows the correlations between Emotional Intelligence and Coping Styles
in the IT sector. The correlation coefficient is .424 which is positive and moderate. There is a
significant correlation between emotional intelligence and coping styles for stress.
Table.2 : Regression Analysis
Variables Entered/Removed
Model
Variables
entered
Variables
removed
Method
1
Emotional
Intelligencea
.
Enter
a. All requested variables entered.
b. Dependent Variable: coping styles
Model Summary
Model
R
R Square
Adjusted R
Square
Std. Error of
the Estimate
1
.424a
.180
.174
.36025
a. Predictors: (Constant), Emotional Intelligence
Interpretation - Table shows the impact of Emotional Intelligence on Coping Styles for stress
on the employees of IT sector. The obtained value of r square is .18 which is moderately positive
and and shows a significant impact of Emotional Intelligence on Coping Styles for stress.

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DISSCUSSION AND CONCLUSION
Emotional Intelligence buffers stress. Taking insight from the preceding statement the present
research was planned to study whether there exists a relationship between emotional intelligence
and coping styles. If we follow Goleman’s model of emotional intelligence, we find few
components of emotional intelligence as shield to proneness to stress. Does EI really work as
shock absorber and helps in coping with stress.
Two standardized questionnaires one on emotional intelligence and other on coping styles were
conducted to study the relationship between variables and data was analyzed using SPSS
package. Pearson’s correlation and regression were conducted to analyze and interpret data. The
findings confirm a relationship between these variables as Emotional Intelligence was found to
have a positive correlation with coping styles. The obtained value of correlation between
Emotional Intelligence and Coping styles (r=.424-table 1) shows that there is a significant
positive correlation between the variables. The obtained R2 value (.18- table 2) also indicates an
impact of Emotional Intelligence on coping styles of individuals towards stress. With increasing
globalization and challenging work environment, an individual puts in a large part of his life and
time to cope up with turbulent changes, emphasizing the role of emotional intelligence in
managing diverse situations in life.
People high on Emotional Intelligence build links within an organization and with the people
they serve, whereas those low on EI may tend to create problems for the organization through
their individual behaviors. So one should emphasize on developing emotional intelligence to
overcome stress at workplace and to get success in life as Emotional intelligence is the basis for
personal qualities such as realistic self-confidence, personal integrity, knowledge of personal
strengths and weaknesses, resilience in times of change or adversity, self-motivation,
perseverance, and the knack for getting along well with others. As far as development of
emotional intelligence is concerned it is not fixed genetically or set irrevocably in early
childhood. In fact, as people grow older they seem to develop greater emotional intelligence.
Additional good news comes from the realm of neuroscientists who have proven that our brains
remain plastic (capable of creating new connections and growing) throughout our lives.
Although people are not born with Goleman's five dimensions of EI-self-awareness, self-
regulation, self motivation, social awareness, and social skills--those traits can be learned
throughout life. To cope up with increased level of Stress in the organization the employees
should work on their self awareness, social awareness, self management and people management
skills as they improve the employee’s trust level and they work more efficiently and
productively. The management needs to impart training on developing emotional intelligence
skill to cope up with challenges at personal and professional front which will be favourable for
overall wellbeing of the organization.
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