ArticlePDF Available

The relationship between managers' emotional intelligence and employees' performance

Authors:

Abstract and Figures

Emotional intelligence has become an important factor in the healthcare sector to gain a competitive advantage over competitors in a very dynamic environment focusing on stakeholders’ satisfaction. The Lebanese healthcare sector is a sensitive workplace environment that deals with patients and patients’ families, suppliers, colleagues and management. This study focuses on the relationship between managers’ emotional intelligence and employees’ performance, with an emphasis on managers’ motivation, empathy, self-awareness, self-regulation, and social skills. Moreover, this research reveals the impact of emotional intelligence components on the performance of employees. Based on the data of 188 employees and 30 managers in the healthcare sector in Lebanon, the results reveal a positive and significant impact of managers’ emotional intelligence on employees’ performance. The results of this study also indicate that managers who have high levels of social skills, empathy, management of emotions, and self-motivation have a positive impact on their employees’ performance in the healthcare sector. Finally, a high degree of self-awareness perception has a negative impact on employees’ performance.
Content may be subject to copyright.
J. International Business and Entrepreneurship Development, Vol. 13, No. 2, 2021 177
Copyright © 2021 Inderscience Enterprises Ltd.
The relationship between managers’ emotional
intelligence and employees’ performance
Demetris Vrontis
University of Nicosia,
46 Makedonitissas Avenue, Nicosia, Cyprus
Email: vrontis.d@unic.ac.cy
Hani El Chaarani*
Beirut Arab University,
Tripoli Campus, Corniche El-Mina, Lebanon
Email: h.shaarani@bau.edu.lb
*Corresponding author
Sam El Nemar
AZM University,
Fouad Chehab Boulevard, Tripoli, Lebanon
Email: snemer@azmuniversity.edu.lb
Hanan Dib
Beirut Arab University,
Tripoli Campus, Corniche El-Mina, Lebanon
Email: hanan@newmazloum.com
Abstract: Emotional intelligence has become an important factor in the
healthcare sector to gain a competitive advantage over competitors in a very
dynamic environment focusing on stakeholders’ satisfaction. The Lebanese
healthcare sector is a sensitive workplace environment that deals with patients
and patients’ families, suppliers, colleagues and management. This study
focuses on the relationship between managers’ emotional intelligence and
employees’ performance, with an emphasis on managers’ motivation, empathy,
self-awareness, self-regulation, and social skills. Moreover, this research
reveals the impact of emotional intelligence components on the performance of
employees. Based on the data of 188 employees and 30 managers in the
healthcare sector in Lebanon, the results reveal a positive and significant
impact of managers’ emotional intelligence on employees’ performance. The
results of this study also indicate that managers who have high levels of social
skills, empathy, management of emotions, and self-motivation have a positive
impact on their employees’ performance in the healthcare sector. Finally, a
high degree of self-awareness perception has a negative impact on employees’
performance.
Keywords: social/emotional leadership; performance management; HR
leadership; performance appraisal; motivation and emotion; hospital
administration.
178 D. Vrontis et al.
Reference to this paper should be made as follows: Vrontis, D.,
El Chaarani, H., El Nemar, S. and Dib, H. (2021) ‘The relationship
between managers’ emotional intelligence and employees’ performance’,
J. International Business and Entrepreneurship Development, Vol. 13, No. 2,
pp.177–196.
Biographical notes: Demetris Vrontis is a Professor of Marketing, the
Executive Dean at the University of Nicosia in Cyprus, Editor-in-Chief of the
EuroMed Journal of Business, and President of the EuroMed Research
Business Institute. He has published over 200 refereed articles and 35 books
and gave numerous presentations in conferences around the globe. He is a
fellow member and certified chartered marketer of the Chartered Institute of
Marketing and a chartered business and chartered marketing consultant. He
also serves as a consultant and member of board of directors to a number of
international companies.
Hani El Chaarani is an Associate Professor in Finance at the Beirut Arab
University (BAU) – Lebanon. Since 2014, he is the Director of the School of
Business (Tripoli branch), and he is presently serving on various academic and
professional committees. In 2009, he earned his PhD in Business
Administration. He has considerable teaching experience in management and
Finance fields. His areas of research include management, family firms,
corporate governance, financial behaviour, financial markets and institutions.
He has published many papers in international journals and books.
Sam El Nemar holds a PhD in Marketing. His prime research interests are in
the marketing of higher education and student customer behaviour, and his
work has been published in a number of scientific journals, book chapters and
conference proceedings. He has undertaken significant research in the fields of
marketing, management and an emphasis on customer behaviour.
Hanan Dib is a professional specialist in the healthcare sector in Lebanon. She
earned her Physical Therapy degree from the Lebanese University in 1997 and
her MBA degree from the Beirut Arab University in 2019. She has more than
25 years of experience in different majors and departments in healthcare sector.
She manages the admission department and tariff and collection department at
New Mazloum Hospital.
1 Introduction
Organisations have seen a fundamental change in their management style, and roles have
become more customer-oriented in the past two decades. In light of competition and
corporate opportunities, organisations are convinced that, to achieve success in the
workplace, they need managers who have the capacity to boost collective cooperation
and support through emotional sharing (Oyewunmi et al., 2015; Pescosolido, 2002).
Emotional intelligence begins with how individuals understand themselves and manage
their own emotional reactions (Wheeler, 2018). This ability can be considered a basis for
advanced emotional intelligence (Yildrim, 2007). Questions remain as to why intelligent
and experienced managers in an organisation still fail to meet occupational environmental
objectives. Perhaps managers can attain advanced performance through emotional
intelligence (Rosete and Ciarrochi, 2005). Managers need to appreciate, encourage, and
The relationship between managers’ emotional intelligence 179
sympathise with their employees (Vrontis et al., 2019a), as management styles directly
impact on employee skills, knowledge, and motivation (Taamneh et al., 2018). In order
for organisations to survive in a changing world, they should retain their competitive
advantage by using the entire potential of their workforce, which is identified as the most
important element of effective leadership. By definition, emotional intelligence is the
ability to control and express one’s emotions, and to deal judiciously and empathetically
with interpersonal relationships. Therefore, some authors argue emotional intelligence is
key to personal and professional success. Mayer et al. (2008) described emotional
intelligence as the capability to recognise and control one’s and others’ emotions.
Many researches have explored the connections concerning emotional intelligence
and work performance. A number of studies give the weight to this assertion. Nel (2001)
argued that there are multiple emotional intelligence skills that are correlated with
performance. Lopes et al.’s (2006) study established that emotional intelligence affects
work performance in a positive manner, while Higgs (2004) found a positive relationship
between it and individual performance. Oyewunmi et al. (2015) and Kumar (2014)
argued that emotional intelligence is a key factor in achieving workplace performance. In
addition, Goleman (1998) revealed managers with high emotional intelligence help
managers improve work performance. Humphrey (2002) found that a manager’s ability to
influence the emotional climate can drive employees’ performance. Tischler et al. (2002)
added that emotional intelligence and performance are clearly linked at work. Sy and
Cote (2004) opined that in a matrix organisation, such as hospitals, emotional intelligence
is a key capability. In addition, emotional intelligence should maintain the
motivation for knowledge sharing and concern for the relationships on a continuous basis
(Sánchez Bengoa et al., 2012).
The Lebanese healthcare sector continuously faces tremendous tests, as this sector has
a delicate balance to maintain with patients, their families, doctors, suppliers, guarantors,
colleagues, government regulations, and people’s emotions. On many occasions, they are
faced with many conflicts to do the right thing and do it correctly. This is the dilemma
and the main topic that distinguishes the organisation from competitors. The Ministry of
Public Health in Lebanon invited an external audit (accreditation committee) and
imposed the same standard on all hospitals, which increased competition among them, as
there can be no more differentiation in the degree of medical services. Hospitals should
be interested in how they can further develop their employees and recruit people with a
high degree of emotional understanding. Problems such as turnover rates, absenteeism,
and lack of motivation can be drastically reduced by choosing more qualified employees
who use emotions in their roles or by helping develop the emotional intelligence of
present employees and managers (Nel and De Villiers, 2004). Managers with a high
degree of emotional intelligence can better direct their personal behaviour and thinking
processes (Mayer et al., 2002).
Based on this background, the study of the influence of emotional intelligence on
healthcare sector employees’ performance is necessary because of the limited studies on
this topic in Lebanon. In addition, an employee’s engagement and high performance are
regarded as crucial for hospitals to compete for quality and patient satisfaction.
This study seeks to highlight the definitions, measurements, and the different
dimensions of emotional intelligence, and to focus on its impact on employees’
performance. In addition, the study attempts to define work performance and the purpose
of performance evaluation. Also examined in this research will be a research conducted
180 D. Vrontis et al.
by Al Kahtani (2013) on job performance, the goal of performance assessment, and the
methods used to measure staff performance.
Based on the above, the following research objectives were derived:
RO1 To understand how emotional intelligence can improve employees’ performance,
and to examine the relationship between managers’ emotional intelligence and
employees’ performance.
RO2 To identify the effects of each component of emotional intelligence on employees’
performance and to examine the relationship of each emotional intelligence
component on employees’ performance.
2 Literature review
Emotional intelligence can affect how one in the healthcare sector copes with work
pressure, stress, anxiety, agitation, and irritability when dealing with critical cases, or
sometimes depression, as emotional situations can increase employees’ stress levels and
lead to a decrease in their productivity and performance (Vrontis et al., 2019b). Emotions
influence everything employees do at work, and they can lead to higher or lower morale
that positively or negatively influences employees’ performance in the workplace.
Al Kahtani (2013) explained that employers generally believe that, apart from employers’
high level of experience and skills, employees’ work efficiency is closely linked to
employers’ emotional intelligence, as self-confidence and adaptability in managers are
essential to support employees during workplace problems and obstacles. Self-confidence
and adaptability can help motivate persons’ morale to attain common work goals
effectively in teamwork environments and to resolve conflicts, improve job performance,
and adapt to changing work environments. Individuals find it challenging to work
effectively and produce better work outcomes while under stress. Therefore, emotional
intelligence can support management and employees in managing themselves and
understanding the relationship between other emotions while under stress (Al Kahtani,
2013).
2.1 Emotional intelligence definitions
Emotional intelligence is the ability of individuals to manage their emotions and deal
effectively with their environment (Rathore and Pandey, 2018). In addition, Mayer and
Salovey (1997) and Mayer et al. (2004, p.197) viewed it as:
“The capacity to reason about emotions, and of emotions to enhance thinking.
It includes the abilities to accurately perceive emotions, to access and generate
emotions so as to assist thought, to understand emotions and emotional
knowledge, and to reflectively regulate emotions so as to promote emotional
and intellectual growth.”
Emotional intelligence is the ability to perceive emotions, to absorb emotional feelings, to
recognise, and to control the information of those emotions [Mayer et al., (1999), p.267].
According to Goleman (1998), emotional intelligence embroils self-motivation and
persistence, empathy and social skills. Introspection skills improve self-control of
impulses, moods, and emotions. Mayer (1999, p.50) defined emotional intelligence as the
The relationship between managers’ emotional intelligence 181
ability to reason with emotion in four areas: to perceive emotion, to integrate it in
thought, to understand it and to manage it. However this differs from Fletcher’s (2007)
view that emotional intelligence refers to people’s ability to deal with others’
interpersonal relationships and control intrapersonal emotions. Emotional intelligence is a
set of skills that allow people to understand and control emotions. Emotional potential is
usually the capability to learn based on emotional intelligence that leads to superior
performance. In addition, emotional intelligence is known as the capability to understand
one’s emotions, and this ability helps individuals to solve their personal emotional
problems (Al Kahtani, 2013; Mayer et al., 2000). Colston (2008) and Mayer et al. (2004)
established that emotional intelligence is more than a model of cognitive ability, because
employees’ cognitive and emotional circumstances facilitate the effects of contextual
conditions on attitudes and behavioural intentions (Quaratino and Mazzei, 2018).
All of the above researchers explained emotional intelligence from different points of
view, but they also stated that people who are emotionally intelligent recognise,
understand, and use emotions effectively. Based on the above topic on motivation, the
following sub-hypothesis is derived: SH1.1: there is a positive relationship between
managers’ motivation and employee performance.
2.2 Importance of emotional intelligence
Ciarrochi et al. (2006) indicated that people apply emotional intelligence to recognise
how emotions are an important source of information about themselves and others.
Emotional intelligence guides people’s response to an analysis of a situation based on
their emotions. This helps them make better choices, as emotional intelligence improves
self-management and balances the heart and mind (Al Kahtani, 2013). Yao et al. (2009)
recommended that emotional intelligence in organisations helps them to take their
customers’ perspective to understand their needs and wants and solve their problems.
Front-line employees who are able to manage their emotions, create a positive
atmosphere, and act proactively in the face of complaints, challenges, and customer stress
will reflect positively onto the organisation. Consequently, applying controlled emotional
intelligence can increase customer confidence and satisfaction through the organisation.
Another important aspect of successful emotional intelligence is the ability to manage
feelings and control stress (Suehs 2015; Cherniss, 2000), as empathy is another important
factor of emotional intelligence that contributes to occupational success (Al Kahtani,
2013; Rosenthal et al., 1977). Therefore, employees’ emotional intelligence can be
considered to be very important in achieving organisational objectives. This leads us to
form the following sub-hypothesis: SH1.2: there is a positive relationship between
managers’ empathy and employee performance.
2.3 Emotional intelligence components
Emotional intelligence is a combination of interpersonal empathy, social responsibility to
understand and appreciate others’ feelings, and intrapersonal abilities, emotional
management, and adaptability.
Goleman’s (1995) emotional intelligence model elements that help people realise
their emotions and motivation include emotional brain, awareness of oneself, self-control,
and enthusiasm. Goleman (1995) distinguished and categorised a number of components
in emotional intelligence. Self-awareness: Individuals with extreme emotional
182 D. Vrontis et al.
intelligence have confidence in their own abilities, know their strengths and limits, and
control their own lives. Motivation: emotionally intelligent individuals will approach life
in a positive manner, are considered self-motivated, are not easily discouraged, and use
emotions positively. Empathy: empathetic people have the ability to understand the
feelings, emotions, and needs of others, and can put themselves in others’ situations and
recognise their emotions. Self-regulation: people with a high degree of emotional
intelligence can concentrate on long-term goals. They can regulate their emotions and act
positively, and this self-control safeguards against impulses. Social skills: good
relationships with others are an important emotional intelligence feature. People with
high emotional understanding can properly deal with friends and people they do not
know. People with good social skills strive to know others’ motives and interests, and
they are good listeners and friendly interlocutors. Based on the topic of self-awareness,
the following sub-hypothesis is derived. SH1.3: there is a positive relationship between
managers’ self-awareness and employee performance. In addition, regarding self-
regulation, we have the following sub-hypothesis is derived: SH1.4: there is a positive
relationship between managers’ self-regulation and employee performance.
Mayer’s and Salovey’s (1997) model of emotional intelligence Mayer and Salovey
(1997) distinguished two views of perceiving and regulating emotions of oneself or
another, and they suggested that emotional intelligence was a separate but general
intelligence related to cognitive ability. This model is made up of four different branches,
including perceiving emotions, enabling emotions, understanding emotions, and
managing emotions. These branches are classified from basic to higher ordering skills,
which develop as an individual does. According to their model, perceiving emotions is
the ability to recognise emotions in oneself and others, as well as in other items such as
artwork or music. This ability influences cognitive processes. The next branch is
facilitating emotions, which is the skill to generate, use, and feels emotion in the
communication of feelings, or to employ them in other processes to solve conflicts. The
third branch is understanding emotions, which is the ability to understand emotional
knowledge, to understand how emotions are interacted and progressed before being
expressed and appreciated. Finally, managing emotions means to have the knowledge to
accept others’ feelings and to understand feelings in oneself. By recognising the
emotional reasoning, people can rationally look at the problem and make the right
decision.
2.4 Mayer et al.’s (2016) ability model of emotional social intelligence
Mayer et al.’s (2016) model describes emotional intelligence through different principles.
Emotional intelligence is the ability to incorporate abstract reasoning, to understand
implications (Lee, 2018). Emotional intelligence is the ability to pose problems for
people to solve. Emotional intelligence is a broad intelligence including fluid reasoning,
comprehension-knowledge, visual-spatial processing, working memory, long-term
storage and retrieval, and speed of retrieval.
In short, three main emotional intelligence models are identified in this research. The
Mayer and Salovey (1997) model defines emotional intelligence as the capacity to
perceive, understand, manage and use emotions to make thinking easier. Second, the
Goleman (1995) model sees emotional intelligence as a range of emotional and social
The relationship between managers’ emotional intelligence 183
skills contributing to management performance and leadership. Finally, the Mayer et al.
(2016) model describes emotional intelligence as a variety of emotional, personal ability,
and social intelligences. Based on the topic of social skills, we formed another
sub-hypothesis: SH1.5: there is a positive relationship between managers’ social skills
and employee performance.
2.5 Emotional intelligence and leadership
Leaders with a high amount of emotional intelligence believe employees’ positive
attitudes can create optimism in the workplace, as employees should be trusted and
treated fairly (Charbaji and Dagher, 2019). These types of leaders can adjust negative
moods with a variety of sources, through flexibility and creativity, and use meta-mood
processes to manage their moods’ and emotions’ functionality (Salovey and Mayer,
1990). A leader with a high degree of emotional intelligence can act on emotional
knowledge, which suggests that employees are more likely to feel positive emotions and
support goals and objectives set by the workplace leader, especially when these types of
leaders show confidence in subordinates (Gardner and Avolio, 1998). Leadership style is
a multifaceted phenomenon, influenced by circumstances, personalities, relationships,
and emotional intelligence (Al-Sada et al., 2017; DeCaro, 2005). This suggests that
leadership effectiveness relies on the degree of emotional intelligence held by managers
(Edelman and Van Knippenberg, 2018). On the other hand, pompous leaders produce
feelings of distrust and injustice in their employees, which creates an organisational
environment where employees are more likely to experience increased emotional
exhaustion (Erkutlu and Chafra, 2017).
2.6 Emotional intelligence and job performance
Competition increases during economic development, as many companies benefit from
the high performance of employees with high degrees of emotional intelligence. The
challenge for many managers is to increase employees’ performance of employees,
sustain business development, and increase the company’s competitive advantage,
because the benefits will depend on each employee’s performance (Yao et al., 2009).
Employees’ performances vary in an organisation, depending upon the organisation’s
objectives and nature. The two topics of leadership and job performance in emotional
intelligence provide another hypothesis: H1: there is a positive relationship between
managers’ emotional intelligence and employees’ performance.
2.7 Performance appraisal methods
Organisations apply various methods of performance assessments to safeguard
impartiality when evaluating their employees and to simplify communication between
management and staff. The performance assessment criteria are based on aspects such as
productivity, work quality, service life, and training (Roychoudhuri, 2018). Performance
appraisal of employees occurs to determine their current level as well as their future
potential in an organisation (Fahed-Sreih, 2018).
184 D. Vrontis et al.
Table 1 presents the commonly used performance assessment methods as described
by Roychoudhuri (2018).
Table 1 Performance assessment methods
Assessment centre
method
The objective of this method is to evaluate staff in social situations. It can
be useful for assessing senior employees.
Behaviourally
anchored rating
scale
This technique is one of the most often used. It combines narrative
techniques, such as essay evaluation, with quantifiable techniques, such
as a Likert scale.
Critical incident
technique
This consists of the manager making statements that describe positive and
negative responses of the employee at his/her place of work. The
statements are recorded within a period of time to find out how good the
employee is at his/her job.
Essay evaluation This method involves the employee’s direct supervisor or manager
preparing a detailed description of the employee’s various strengths,
weaknesses, attitudes and behaviour towards job duties.
Human asset
accounting method
Human capital in this method is the number of satisfied customers, or the
number of potential customers.
Management by
objective
In this method, the employer or manager, and sometime together with the
employee, set goals and objectives for the employee to achieve.
Paired comparison
method
With this method, employees are compared to other employees on the
team, and evaluations are based on their comparative performance with
the best employee.
Rating scale With this method, the organisation sets goals for the employees, and then
rates individuals for their expertise, teamwork, communication skills and
accuracy.
Trait focused
evaluation
Management uses this technique to consider attributes such as
helpfulness, reliability and timeliness of employees.
360 degree
feedback
This method of appraisal involves getting feedback about employees
from many different sources, such as management, co-workers, or
customers. It helps employers to understand the individual’s capabilities
including in a social context. It gives the employer an insight into the
employee’s personality such as openness, tolerance,
introversion/extroversion, and acceptance.
2.7.1 Employee performance measurement
Management practitioners have long considered how organisations should evaluate their
own performance. Conventional measurement techniques have led to a revolution in
performance capacity (Eccles, 1991; Neely, 1999).
Managerial practitioners, consultants, and academic advisers have focused on how
organisations can substitute their existing cost-based measuring systems with more
suitable systems that reflect their actual goals. Based on action research, Table 2 lists the
several methods that allow organisations to measure their performance.
The main objective of these frames is to support organisations to identify a set of
measuring systems that adequately reflect their goals as well as their objectives and to
evaluate their performance outcome.
The relationship between managers’ emotional intelligence 185
Table 2 Performance measurement systems
Kaplan and
Norton (1995)
The balanced scorecard allows managers to focus on the company from the
customer perspective.
Kennerley and
Neely (2000)
The performance prism is a thinking method that integrates five related
perspectives: stakeholder satisfaction, stakeholders’ contributions, strategies,
processes, and capability.
Keegan et al.
(1989)
The performance measurement matrix classifies performance measurement
into four dimensions: cost, non-cost, internal, and external.
Fitzgerald et al.
(1991)
The results and determinants framework creates a connection between current
business performances, reflected in results with past business performances,
as measured by determinants.
Lynch and
Cross (1991)
The SMART pyramid.
Williams and
Karau (1991)
Performance-based work is the employee’s contribution to an organisation’s
performance.
Campbell et al.
(1990)
Task performance includes compliance with the contractual conditions
between the employer and the employee. There are eight factors for
performance hierarchical model; five of them refer to task performance.
Source: Bourne et al. (1999)
2.7.2 Hypothesis development
Based on the literature review, this study will examine the correlation between managers’
emotional intelligence and the performance of employees in the healthcare sector, with an
emphasis on Goleman’s (1995) theory. Hypotheses are as follow:
H1 There is a positive relationship between managers’ emotional intelligence and
employees’ performance.
SH1.1: there is a positive relationship between managers’ motivation and
employee performance.
SH1.2: there is a positive relationship between managers’ empathy and
employee performance.
SH1.3: there is a positive relationship between managers’ self-awareness and
employee performance.
SH1.4: there is a positive relationship between managers’ self-regulation and
employee performance.
SH1.5: there is a positive relationship between managers’ social skills and
employee performance.
2.7.3 The conceptual framework
The conceptual framework design is grounded on the literature discussed in the previous
sections. This proposed framework is partially based on Goleman’s (1995) theory, and is
employed to reveal the relationship between the emotional intelligence of managers and
the performance of employees. It is hypothesised that emotional intelligence of managers
can significantly influence the performance of employees. For this study, the emotional
intelligence of managers will be segmented into five variables, as illustrated below:
186 D. Vrontis et al.
Figure 1 Proposed conceptual framework (see online version for colours)
The implementation of such a framework in the Lebanese healthcare sector is believed to
highlight the significance of emotional intelligence and its direct impact on employee
performance, which will indirectly impact the retention of patients and the hospital’s
competitive advantage.
3 Methodology
This section discusses the methods of research used to collect data for this research. This
includes the research design and the data collection sampling method.
3.1 Research design
The basic purpose of this research was to test the hypothesis identified and mentioned in
the literature. In order to investigate the relationship between managers’ emotional
intelligence and employees’ performance, a quantitative study was employed using a
survey approach. Structured questionnaires were distributed to gather data from targeted
population samples and then collected upon their completion. The structured
questionnaire was divided into two categories and each category had two sections.
The first category addressed managers’ (assessment for leadership done by the
organisation) self-evaluation of emotional intelligence. It was divided into five sections,
which were the components of emotional intelligence and consisted of 40 questions in a
tabular form. The questionnaire was structured using a five-point Likert scale. Answers
were set from 1 – does not apply to 5 – always applies. The questionnaire also asked for
demographic information of gender, educational level, marital status, and age.
The second category was for employees’ performance and self-evaluation, which was
evaluated by their managers. This was made up of ten criteria related to performance
appraisal, and had a total of 50 questions in tabular form. The questionnaire was
structured using a five-point Likert scale. Answers were set from 1 – underdeveloped to
5 – excellent. In this category, employees were also asked to evaluate their manager’s
emotional intelligence in a tabular form, made up of five components and comprising
25 questions. The questionnaire was structured using a five-point Likert scale, with 1 –
does not apply to 5 – always applies.
The relationship between managers’ emotional intelligence 187
Data was collected in the workplace to ensure non-contrived settings. Data collected
was then entered into SPSS for analysis.
3.2 Population and sample
A large sample size allows data to be generalised so that it can be a representation of the
population which helps reduce sampling errors (Bryman and Bell, 2015). The exact
number of employees in the Lebanese healthcare sector is unknown. The sample
collected included employees at the private hospital New Mazloum Hospital in
Tripoli-Lebanon. This was a cross-sectional study for which data was gathered only one
time between November and December in 2018. For this study, 230 questionnaires were
distributed to employees in New Mazloum Hospital in order to collect the maximum
number of questionnaires, and 188 were completed and returned, while 30 other
questionnaires were distributed to managers in New Mazloum Hospital and returned.
Managers represent 15% in the sampling frame.
4 Results and data analysis
This section analyses the data collected through the questionnaire and attempts to address
the research hypotheses.
4.1 Reliability test
Cronbach’s alpha is a test to measure internal consistency (reliability) between items in a
scale. There might be errors, for example, in the questions or in the scale used, so there
must be an assessment of the measures’ robustness. Reliability includes the measures’
stability and consistency, and indicates the extent to which this measure is error free.
According to Bryman (2008), Cronbach’s alpha coefficient should be greater than 0.50 to
be acceptable. Cronbach’s alpha is one of the reliability tests used in this study, and it is
calculated for the emotional intelligence of managers and performance of employees.
Table 3 Cronbach’s alpha coefficient of performance variables
Variable Number of items Cronbach’s alpha
External appearance and internal behaviour 5 0.936
Attendance and punctuality 5 0.923
Productivity 5 0.921
Communication skills 5 0.918
Cooperation 5 0.909
Flexibility 5 0.918
Drive 5 0.919
Leadership 5 0.932
Creativity 5 0.914
Problem-solving 5 0.913
188 D. Vrontis et al.
Table 3 describes the Cronbach’s alpha values, and results show that the Cronbach’s
alpha for each item is 0.909 and above, so the reliability test of the verified items is
consistent.
Table 4 Cronbach’s alpha coefficient of managers’ emotional intelligence
Variable Number of items Cronbach’s alpha
Self-motivation 5 0.763
Perception of self-awareness 5 0.735
Managing emotions 5 0.505
Empathy 5 0.505
Social skill 5 0.514
Table 4 illustrates that Cronbach’s alpha values are 0.505 and above, so the reliability test
of the verified items is consistent.
Table 5 Analysis of managers’ demographic factors
Demographic Frequency Percentage Cumulative percentage
Female 23 76.67 76.67 Gender
Male 7 23.33 100.00
20–29 1 3.33 3.33
30–39 14 46.67 50.00
40–49 14 46.67 96.67
Age
50 or over 1 3.33 100.00
Single 3 10.00 10.00 Marital status
Married 27 90.00 100.00
Bachelor’s degree 25 83.33 83.33
Master’s degree 2 6.67 90.00
Educational level
PHD degree 3 10.00 100.00
Note: N = 30.
4.2 Descriptive statistics
A descriptive statistics test was conducted to determine the frequency distribution of the
respondents concerning the demographic factors for both employees and managers
(gender, age, marital status, educational level).
Table 5 describes the analysis of managers’ demographic factor.
Table 5 reveals the results of the questionnaires completed by 30 managers. The
majority of the respondents are females (76.67%) between 30 and 49 years of age
(93.4%). The majority of the respondents are married (93.33%) and hold Bachelor’s
degrees (83.3%).
The table describes the analysis of employees’ demographic factors.
Table 6 reveals the results of the questionnaires completed by 188 respondents. The
majority of the respondents are females (70.7%) between 30 and 39 years old
(89.9%).The majority of the respondents are married (71.8%) and hold Bachelor’s
degrees (63.8%).
The relationship between managers’ emotional intelligence 189
Table 6 Analysis of employees’ demographic factors
Demographic Frequency Percentage Cumulative percentage
Female 133 70.7 70.7 Gender
Male 55 29.3 100.0
20–29 39 20.7 20.7
30–39 130 69.1 89.9
40–49 12 6.4 96.3
Age
50 or over 7 3.7 100.0
Single 53 28.2 28.2
Married 135 71.8 100.0
Marital
status
Total 188 100.0
Less than high school 68 36.2 36.2 Level of
education Bachelor’s degree 120 63.8 100.0
Note: N = 188.
Table 7 describes managers’ self-evaluation of emotional intelligence factors.
Table 7 Emotional intelligence components – descriptive statistics
N Range Minimum Maximum Mean Std. deviation Variance
Perception of
self-awareness
30 2.00 3.00 5.00 4.3667 0.55605 0.309
Managing
emotions
30 3.00 2.00 5.00 3.4000 0.85501 0.731
Self-motivation 30 3.00 2.00 5.00 4.1333 0.68145 0.464
Empathy 30 3.00 2.00 5.00 4.1667 0.69893 0.489
Social skill 30 2.00 3.00 5.00 4.1667 0.59209 0.351
Valid N (list wise) 30
Table 7 reveals the results of 40 questions that were asked to 30 employees to test the
five components of managers’ self-evaluation of their emotional intelligence; answers
range between rank 2 (slightly applies) and rank 5 (always applies). The majority of
factors’ mean is above 4.13, except the factor of managing emotions (mean = 3.4), which
indicates that managers need to improve in this factor.
Table 8 Descriptive analysis of employees’ evaluation of managers’ emotional intelligence
factors
N Range Minimum Maximum Mean Std. deviation Variance
Managing emotions 188 2 2 4 2.99 0.694 0.481
Self-awareness 188 2 2 4 2.91 0.652 0.425
Motivation 188 2 3 5 4.05 0.588 0.345
Empathy 188 2 3 5 3.93 0.625 0.390
Social skills 188 4 1 5 3.97 0.738 0.544
Valid N (list wise) 188
190 D. Vrontis et al.
Table 8 describes the emotional intelligence of 30 managers, evaluated by 188
employees.
Table 8 reveals the results of 25 questions that were asked to 188 employees to
evaluate their managers’ emotional intelligence from the employee perspective. Results
show that answers ranged between rank 1 (does not apply) and rank 5 (always applies).
The mean value of managing emotions and self-awareness is close to rank 3 (neutral),
which shows that managers must improve those two factors to increase their degree of
emotional intelligence. The means of the other factors have high values, which indicate
that employees consider that their managers have high levels of motivation, empathy, and
social skills. Table 9 below describes the descriptive statistics of employees’
performance.
Table 9 Descriptive statistics of employees’ performance
N Range Minimum Maximum Mean Std.
deviation Variance
External appearance and
internal behaviour
188 2 3 5 3.93 0.275 0.075
Attendance and
punctuality
188 2 3 5 3.82 0.409 0.167
Productivity 188 2 3 5 3.73 0.469 0.220
Communication skills 188 2 3 5 3.64 0.503 0.253
Cooperation 188 3 2 5 3.74 0.472 0.223
Flexibility 188 2 3 5 3.85 0.386 0.149
Drive 188 2 3 5 3.82 0.413 0.170
Leadership 188 2 3 5 3.35 0.499 0.249
Creativity 188 3 2 5 3.65 0.540 0.292
Problem-solving 188 2 3 5 3.69 0.486 0.236
Valid N (list wise) 188
Table 10 Correlations between average manager’s emotional intelligence and average
employee’s performance
Average manager’s
emotional intelligence
Average employee’s
performance
Pearson correlation 1 0.466**
Sig. (two-tailed) 0.000
Average manager’s
emotional
intelligence N 188 188
Pearson correlation 0.466** 1
Sig. (two-tailed) 0.000
Average employee’s
performance
N 188 188
Note: ** Correlation is significant at the 0.01 level (two-tailed).
Table 9 reveals the results of 50 questions that were asked to 188 employees to evaluate
their performance. Answers ranged between rank 2 (slightly applies) and rank 5 (always
applies). The mean values of the different dimensions of employees’ performance were
The relationship between managers’ emotional intelligence 191
between (3.35) and (3.93). The values of performance dimensions indicate that the
performance level of employees required some improvements.
The table shows the correlation between manager’s self-evaluation of his/her
emotional intelligence and employee’s performance.
Table 10 results revealed that the p-value for this test is 0.000 and thus lead us to
consider that there is a very strong evidence that emotional intelligence is linearly
correlated with employee performance.
4.3 Multiple regressions
Multiple regression analysis is used to test the hypotheses and determine the relation
between the dependent variable and multiple independent variables.
Table 11 Coefficients of multiple regressions
Unstandardised
coefficients
Standardised
coefficients
95.0% confidence
interval for B
Model
B Std.
error Beta
t Sig.
Lower
bound
Upper
bound
(Constant) 1.594 0.292 5.453 0.000 1.017 2.171
Perception of
self-awareness
–0.113 0.043 –0.166 –2.655 0.009 –0.198 –0.029
Managing
emotions
0.210 0.030 0.506 6.916 0.000 0.150 0.270
Self-motivation 0.163 0.047 0.218 2.339 0.000 0.080 0.255
Empathy 0.197 0.052 0.301 3.760 0.000 0.093 0.300
1
Social skills 0.234 0.049 0.350 4.796 0.000 0.138 0.330
Note: Dependent variable: employee’s average performance.
According to Table 11, the coefficients showing the higher beta are the more influential
variables in the model. The results show that the most important independent variable
affecting the performance of employees with the higher level of beta (0.234) is social
skills, while managing emotions is the second most important variable influencing
employees’ performance with a beta of (0.210). These results indicate that SH1.5 and
SH1.4 are accepted. The results reveal a positive impact of a manger’s social skills on
employees’ performance, which confirms the Goleman’s (2006) study. The results also
reveal a positive impact of a manager’s self-regulation on employees’ performance. This
positive impact of a manager’s empathy is in line with the studies of Rosenthal et al.
(1977) and Goleman (2006).
The results of Table 11 indicate that the manager’s empathy significantly and
positively impacts employees’ performance, with a beta of 0.197. This result leads to
acceptance of SH1.2, in which there is a positive relationship between a manager’s
empathy and employee performance. Moreover, the results of Table 9 show that the
self-motivation factor has a significantly positive impact on the employees’ performance,
with a beta of 0.163. This result indicates that hypothesis SH1.1, in which there is a
positive relationship between a manager’s motivation and employee performance is
accepted.
192 D. Vrontis et al.
The last factor affecting the performance of employees is the perception of
self-awareness. The result of self-awareness has a significant beta of –0.113, which
means that with every one-unit increase of a manager’s perception of self-awareness
variable, the outcome of employees’ performance variable will decrease by the beta
coefficient value. Therefore, SH1.3 cannot be accepted. The results revealed that a
manager’s self-awareness relationship with employees’ performance is inverse. The
reason is that managers’ need improvement to convert the self-awareness step into an
action plan.
The following model is derived from the previously discussed coefficients in
Table 11: employee’s performance = 1.594 – 0.113 (perception of self-awareness) +
0.210 (managing emotions) + 0.163 (self-motivation) + 0.197 (empathy) + 0.234 (social
skill) + e (error). Four regression coefficients are positive and statistically significant.
4.4 Simple regression results
To test the relation between employee performance and a manager’s emotional
intelligence, the simple regression analysis is used. This model measures the strength of
the causal relationship between the two variables: manager’s emotional intelligence as
the independent variable, or X, and employee performance as dependent variable, or Y,
without considering the different components of emotional intelligence.
Table 12 Coefficients of simple regressions
Unstandardised
coefficients
Standardised
coefficients
Model
B Std. error Beta
t Sig.
(Constant) 2.321 0.190 12.208 0.000 1
Average auto evaluation 0.395 0.045 0.539 8.721 0.000
Note: Dependent variable: performance average.
According to Table 12, a manager’s emotional intelligence has a significant and positive
impact on employees’ performance, with a beta of 0.395, t = 8.721, and p (sig.) less than
5%. This result indicates that H1 is accepted. This result is in line with Nel (2001), Lopes
et al. (2006) and Higgs (2004), who found that emotional intelligence positively affects
the performance of employees.
The model derived from Table 12 is the following: average performance = 2.321 +
0.395 average emotional intelligence.
5 Conclusions and recommendations
This study focused on the correlation between a manager’s emotional intelligence (its
components) and employees’ performance in the healthcare sector in Lebanon. In
addressing the research objectives, this research provided results of a positive correlation
between the two factors. In addition, the results confirmed a positive relationship between
four emotional intelligence components with employees’ performance. However, results
revealed a negative relationship between a manager’s self-awareness and employees’
performance, indicating an inverse relationship between the two. The Lebanese
The relationship between managers’ emotional intelligence 193
healthcare sector is found to be a delicate and sensitive workplace environment,
especially when dealing with customers, patients and patients’ families, suppliers,
colleagues, and management. Each category needs a special type of relationship,
particularly during difficult times, to hold a positive attitude without being affected by
daily problems and difficulties that will always need special handling. This validates
Oyewunmi et al. (2015), who argued that emotional intelligence is a very important
factor for organisations to prosper in the business environment. Organisations need
managers that hold a high degree of emotional intelligence to improve group solidarity,
creativity, productivity, and performance to gain a sustainable competitive edge in the
market.
Based on the results revealed, healthcare organisations should include emotional
intelligence auto-evaluation tests during the recruitment process, particularly when hiring
managers, due to the positive effect of emotional intelligence on employees’
performance. Mandatory training sessions on emotional intelligence identification should
be provided to employees, as they will significantly benefit the entire organisation.
Advance training sessions in leadership should be offered to employees who see
themselves as future managers. And finally, managers must increase their level of
self-awareness in order to sustain a higher degree of emotional intelligence.
5.1 Research limitations and future direction
The findings of this research are in line with many studies that have been conducted by
various authors. However, this research faced a number of limitations that future
researchers need to consider. The first limitation was the number of employees who
responded; only 188 employees were part of the study, which was due to time constraints,
because the data collection was carried out in three weeks. Secondly, this study only
included emotional intelligence and its components, while not focusing on the effects of
demographic factors. Future researchers should also examine the demographic factors
correlated to emotional intelligence and components of employee performance. Finally,
this research was limited to one organisation in Lebanon. Future studies should include a
higher number of healthcare institutions for diversification purposes.
References
Al Kahtani, A. (2013) ‘Employee emotional intelligence and employee performance in the higher
education institutions in Saudi Arabia: a proposed theoretical framework’, International
Journal of Business and Social Science, Vol. 4, No. 9, pp.80–95.
Al-Sada, M., Al-Esmael, B. and Faisal, M.N. (2017) ‘Influence of organizational culture and
leadership style on employee satisfaction, commitment and motivation in the educational
sector in Qatar’, EuroMed Journal of Business, Vol. 12, No. 2, pp.163–188.
Bourne, M.C.S., Mills, J.F., Bicheno, J., Hamblin, D.J., Wilcox, M., Neely, A.D. and Platts, K.W.
(1999) ‘Performance measurement system design: testing a process approach in manufacturing
companies’, International Journal of Business Performance Measurement, Vol. 1, No. 2,
pp.154–170.
Bryman, A. (2008) Social Research Methods, 3rd ed., Oxford University Press, New York.
Bryman, A. and Bell, E. (2015) Business Research Methods, Oxford University Press, Oxford,
England.
194 D. Vrontis et al.
Campbell, J.P., McHenry, J.J. and Wise, L.L. (1990) ‘Modeling job performance in a population of
jobs’, Personnel Psychology, Vol. 43, No. 2, pp.313–575.
Charbaji, S.A. and Dagher, W.J. (2019) ‘The impact of leadership on organizational learning via
CSR and organizational innovativeness in Lebanese SMEs’, The Journal of Social Sciences
Research, Vol. 5, No. 7, pp.1090–1095.
Cherniss, C. (2000) ‘Emotional intelligence: what it is and why it matters’, Annual Meeting of the
Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology, New Orleans, LA.
Ciarrochi, J., Forgas, J.P. and Mayer, J.D. (2006) Emotional Intelligence in Everyday Life, 2nd ed.,
Psychology Press, Hove, UK.
Colston, R.D. (2008) The Relationship between Emotional Intelligence and Academic
Achievement: Implications of Birth Order Based on Social Rank for Non-Traditional Adult
Learners, Doctoral dissertation, Proquest Dissertations Publishing.
DeCaro, N.E. (2005) An Investigation of the Relationship of Initiating Structure, Consideration and
Gender Perception: An Examination of the Path-Goal Theory, Doctoral dissertation, Capella
University.
Eccles, R. (1991) ‘The performance measurement manifesto’, Harvard Business Review, Vol. 69,
No. 1, pp.131–137.
Edelman, P. and Van Knippenberg, D. (2018) ‘Emotional intelligence, management of
subordinate’s emotions, and leadership effectiveness, Leadership and Organization
Development Journal, Vol. 39, No. 5, pp.592–607.
Erkutlu, H.V. and Chafra, J. (2017) ‘Leader narcissism and subordinate embeddedness: the
moderating roles of moral attentiveness and behavioral integrity’, EuroMed Journal of
Business, Vol. 12, No. 2, pp.146–162.
Fahed-Sreih, J. (2018) ‘Introductory chapter: Human resources in the twenty-first century’, in
Fahed-Sreih, J. (Ed.): Human Resource Planning for the 21st Century, IntechOpen, London.
Fitzgerald, L., Johnston, R., Brignall, S., Silvestro, R. and Voss, C. (1991) Performance
Measurement in Service Businesses, Chartered Institute of Management Accountants, London.
Fletcher, J.K. (2007) ‘Leadership, power and positive relationships’, in Dutton, J.E. and
Ragins, B.R. (Eds.): Exploring Positive Relationships at Work: Building a Theoretical and
Research Foundation, pp.347–373, Psychology Press, New York, NY.
Gardner, W.L. and Avolio, B.J. (1998) ‘The charismatic relationship: a dramaturgical perspective’,
Academy of Management Review, Vol. 23, No. 1, pp.32–58.
Goleman, D. (1995) Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter More than IQ, NY, Bantam Books,
New York.
Goleman, D. (1998) ‘What makes a leader?’, Harvard Business Review, November–December,
pp.93–102.
Goleman, D. (2006) ‘The socially intelligent’, Educational Leadership, Vol. 64, No. 1, pp.76–81.
Higgs, M. (2004) ‘A study of the relationship between emotional intelligence and performance in
UK call centres’, Journal of Managerial Psychology, Vol. 19, No. 4, pp.442–454.
Humphrey, R.H. (2002) ‘The many faces of emotional leadership’, The Leadership Quarterly,
Vol. 13, No. 5, pp.493–504.
Kaplan, R.S. and Norton, D.P. (1995) ‘Putting the balanced scorecard’, Performance Measurement,
Management, and Appraisal Sourcebook, Vol. 66, pp.66–74, Human Resource Development
Press, Inc., 22 Amherst Road, Amherst, Massachusetts.
Keegan, D.P, Eiler, R.G. and Jones C.R. (1989) ‘Are your performance measures obsolete?’,
Management Accounting, Vol. 70, No. 12, pp.45–50.
Kennerley, M.P. and Neely, A.D. (2000) ‘Performance measurement frameworks – a review’,
Proceedings of the 2nd International Conference on Performance Measurement, Cambridge,
pp.291–298.
The relationship between managers’ emotional intelligence 195
Kumar, R. (2014) Impact of Emotional Intelligence on Employees’ Performance: A Study of
Employees Working in Himachal Pradesh University Shimla, 16 June,
SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2451027 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2451027.
Lee, H.J. (2018) ‘How emotional intelligence relates to job satisfaction and burnout in public
service jobs’, International Review of Administrative Sciences, Vol. 84, No. 4, pp.729–745.
Lopes, N., Grewal, D., Kadis, J., Gall, M. and Salovey, P. (2006) ‘Evidence that emotional
intelligence is related to job performance and affects attitudes at work’, Psicothema, Vol. 18,
No. 1, pp.132–138.
Lynch, R. and Cross, K. (1991) Measure Up! Yardsticks for Continuous Improvement, Basil
Blackwell, Cambridge, MA.
Mayer, J.D. (1999) ‘Emotional intelligence: popular or scientific psychology?’, APA Monitor,
Vol. 30, No. 50.
Mayer, J.D. and Salovey, P. (1997) ‘What is emotional intelligence?’, in Salovey, P. and
Sluyter, D. (Eds.): Emotional Development and Emotional Intelligence: Educational
Applications, pp.3–31, Basic Books, New York, NY.
Mayer, J.D., Caruso, D.R. and Salovey, P. (2016) ‘The ability model of emotional intelligence:
principles and updates’, Emotion Review, Vol. 8, No. 4, pp.290–300.
Mayer, J.D., Caruso, D.R. and Salovey, P. (1999) ‘Emotional intelligence meets traditional
standards for an intelligence’, Intelligence, Vol. 27, No. 4, pp.267–298.
Mayer, J.D., Salovey, P. and Caruso, D.R. (2008) ‘Emotional intelligence: new ability or eclectic
traits?’, American Psychologist, Vol. 63, No. 6, pp.503–517.
Mayer, J.D., Salovey, P. and Caruso, D.R. (2000) ‘Models of emotional intelligence’, in
Stenberg, R.J. (Ed.): Handbook of Intelligence, pp.336–420, Cambridge University Press,
Cambridge.
Mayer, J.D., Salovey, P. and Caruso, D.R. (2002) Mayer-Salovey-Caruso Emotional Intelligence
Test (MSCEIT), Multi-Health Systems, Toronto.
Mayer, J.D., Salovey, P. and Caruso, D.R. (2004) ‘Emotional intelligence: theory, findings, and
implications’, Psychological Inquiry, Vol. 15, No. 3, pp.197–215.
Neely, A. (1999) ‘The performance measurement revolution: why now and what next?’,
International Journal of Operations and Production Management, Vol. 19, No. 2,
pp.205–228.
Nel, H. and De Villiers, W.S. (2004) ‘The relationship between emotional intelligence and job
performance in a call centre environment’, South African Journal of Industrial Psychology,
Vol. 30, No. 3, pp.75–81.
Nel, M. (2001) An Industrial Psychological Investigation into the Relationship Between Emotional
Intelligence in the Call Centre Environment, Master’s thesis, University of Stellenbosch,
Department of Industrial Psychology, South Africa.
Oyewunmi, A.E., Oyewunmi, O.A. and Oludayo, O.O. (2015) ‘Leaders’ emotional intelligence and
employees’ performance: a case in Nigeria’s public healthcare sector’, International Journal
of Human Resource Studies, Vol. 5, No. 3, pp.23–37.
Pescosolido, A.T. (2002) ‘Emergent leaders as managers of group emotions’, The Leadership
Quarterly, Vol. 13, No. 5, pp.583–599.
Quaratino, L. and Mazzei, A. (2018) ‘Managerial strategies to promote employee brand consistent
behavior: the new frontier for brand building strategies’, EuroMed Journal of Business,
Vol. 13, No. 2, pp.185–200.
Rathore, S. and Pandey, R. (2018) ‘Reviewing emotional intelligence with leadership theory: a
study of the role of emotional intelligence on transformational leadership’, in
Ordóñez de Pablos, P. (Ed.): Management Strategies and Technology Fluidity in the Asian
Business Sector, pp.1–13, IGI Global, Hershey, PA.
Rosenthal, R., Hall, J.A., Archer, D., DiMatteo, M.R. and Rogers, P.L., (1977) ‘The PONS test:
measuring sensitivity to nonverbal cues’, Advances in Psychological Assessment, Josser-Bass,
San Francisco.
196 D. Vrontis et al.
Rosete, J. and Ciarrochi, J. (2005) ‘Emotional intelligence and its relationship to workplace
performance outcomes of leadership effectiveness’, Leadership and Organization
Development Journal, Vol. 26, No. 5, pp.388–399.
Roychoudhuri, U. (2018) What is Performance Appraisal Methods for Startups [online]
https://www.sumhr.com/top-performance-appraisal-methods-startups-small-businesses/
(accessed 13 January 2019).
Salovey, P. and Mayer, J.D. (1990) ‘Emotional intelligence’, Imagination, Cognition and
Personality, Vol. 9, No. 3, pp.185–211.
Sánchez Bengoa, D., Ruediger Kaufmann, H. and Vrontis, D. (2012) ‘A new organisational
memory for cross-cultural knowledge management’, Cross Cultural Management: An
International Journal, Vol. 19, No. 3, pp.336–351.
Suehs, D. (2015) Emotional Intelligence and Employee Engagement: A Quantitative Study to
Explore the Relationship between the Emotional Intelligence of Frontline Managers and
Supervisors and the Degree of Employee Engagement of their Direct Reports in a Tertiary
Care Health Care Setting, Doctoral thesis, St. John Fisher College [online]
https://fisherpub.sjfc.edu/education_etd/239 (accessed 23 January 2019).
Sy, T. and Cote, S. (2004) ‘Emotional intelligence: a key ability to succeed in the matrix
organization’, Journal of Management Development, Vol. 23, No. 5, pp.437–455.
Taamneh, A., Alsaad, A.K. and Elrehail, H. (2018) ‘HRM practices and the multifaceted nature of
organization performance: The mediation effect of organizational citizenship behavior’,
EuroMed Journal of Business, Vol. 13, No. 3, pp.315–334.
Tischler, L., Biberman, J. and McKeage, R. (2002) ‘Linking emotional intelligence, spirituality and
workplace performance: definitions, models and ideas for research’, Journal of Managerial
Psychology, Vol. 17, No. 3, pp.203–218.
Vrontis, D., El Chaarani, H., El Nemar, S. and Yamak, B. (2019a) ‘Determinants of job satisfaction
in the Lebanese construction sector’, Journal for Global Business Advancement, Vol. 12,
No. 4, pp.516–541.
Vrontis, D., El-Chaarani, H., El Nemar, S. and Khalaf, D. (2019b) ‘Impact of stress on nurses in the
healthcare industry’, Journal for Global Business Advancement, Vol. 12, No. 2, pp.189–211.
Wheeler, S.L. (2018) ‘Emotional intelligence (EQ) and the next generation of interpreters’, in
Proceedings of the 2018 Biennial Conference – Reaching New Heights in Interpreter
Education: Mentoring, Teaching, and Leadership, Conference of Interpreter Trainers,
pp.206–217.
Williams, K.D. and Karau, S.J. (1991) ‘Social loafing and social compensation: the effects of
expectations of co-worker performance’, Journal of Personality and Social Psychology,
Vol. 61, No. 4, pp.570–581.
Yao, Y-H., Wang, R-T. and Wang, K.Y. (2009) ‘The influence of emotional intelligence on job
performance: Moderating effects of leadership’, 2009 International Conference on
Management Science and Engineering, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, 3–5 April.
Yildrim, O. (2007) ‘Discriminating emotional intelligence based competencies of IT employees
and sales people’, Journal of European Industrial Training, Vol. 31, No. 4, pp.274–282.
... Vrontis, El Chaarani, El Nemar, Dib (2021) [15]. Statistically significant positive relationships were noted between EI and transformational leadership and the outcomes of leadership (extra effort, effectiveness and satisfaction). ...
... Majeed and Jamshed (2020) [14]. 75% Vrontis, El Chaarani, El Nemar, Dib (2021) [15]. ...
... This implies that the combination of leadership style and EQ can have a more significant influence on how well employees perform [17]. The relationship between leader EQ and employee performance was examined in the Lebanese healthcare sector [15]. In a cross-sectional study involving 188 employees and 30 managers, it was observed that managers' EQ had a significantly positive impact on employee performance, with social skills being the most influential variable affecting employee performance. ...
Article
Full-text available
Emotional intelligence (EQ) in healthcare leadership has been a subject of debate regarding its significance in enhancing job performance and patient-centred care. This systematic review investigates the impact of EQ on organisational performance metrics in healthcare leaders. Eleven studies meeting the inclusion criteria were identified through a comprehensive database search. The findings suggest that EQ positively influences job satisfaction, with emotionally intelligent leaders fostering a positive work environment and commitment among employees. Moreover, EQ correlates negatively with emotional exhaustion, indicating its potential in mitigating burnout rates among healthcare professionals. EQ fosters teamwork, organisational culture and enhances job performance, with higher EQ levels in leaders associated with increased team empowerment and proactivity. Despite the compelling evidence, limitations in the study methodologies and heterogeneity in the reported outcomes challenge the establishment of definitive conclusions. Nevertheless, the findings underscore the importance of EQ in healthcare leadership and its potential to improve organisational dynamics and employee wellbeing. This review highlights the need for further research on EQ’s impact on patient satisfaction and calls for the development of EQ training programmes tailored for healthcare leaders.
... Reb et al. (2019) categorize talent management into four primary perspectives. The first viewpoint suggests that talent management practices mirror human resource management activities, essentially portraying talent management as a rebranded version of human resource management, hence lacking substantial differentiation (Vrontis et al., 2021). The next approach concentrates on developing organizational succession plans by nurturing and cultivating talented human resources, ensuring an adequate supply in alignment with the organization's present and future needs and developmental direction (Vrontis et al., 2021). ...
... The first viewpoint suggests that talent management practices mirror human resource management activities, essentially portraying talent management as a rebranded version of human resource management, hence lacking substantial differentiation (Vrontis et al., 2021). The next approach concentrates on developing organizational succession plans by nurturing and cultivating talented human resources, ensuring an adequate supply in alignment with the organization's present and future needs and developmental direction (Vrontis et al., 2021). The third perspective views talent management as the process of identifying, developing, and assigning talented individuals to key positions within an organization based on established criteria (Reb et al., 2019). ...
Article
In the constantly changing digital context, state-owned commercial banks have implemented positive changes in their human resource development strategies. To meet the government's objectives for human resource development in the banking field, it is crucial to explore current talent management practices and assess their effectiveness in this industry. This study addresses the identified gap based on the objectives of reviewing the talent management practices employed by Vietnamese banks and evaluating the effectiveness of these activities. This research employed qualitative method as well as quantitative method to serve the research objectives. Twenty semi-structured indepth interviews with middle-level managers from different banks were conducted. Furthermore, 300 quantitative questionnaires containing measurement scales were sent to managers and staff at the banks to assess the efficiency of talent attraction, engagement, development, and retention. Findings reveal that state-owned commercial banks have developed an increasing level of commitment to talent management activities with obtained tangible results. However, there are still downsides related to talent training, engagement, and the measurement of talent management effectiveness for different reasons.
... -‫بر‬ ‫أٗعب‬ Wong and Law, (2002 (Singh et al., 2016 . ( Nair et al. 2016;Chong, et al.,2020;Novariani,2020;Alonazi,2020, Vrontis et al., 2021 (Nair et al. 2016;Chong, et al., 2020;Alonazi, 2020;Vrontis et al., 2021) ...
... -‫بر‬ ‫أٗعب‬ Wong and Law, (2002 (Singh et al., 2016 . ( Nair et al. 2016;Chong, et al.,2020;Novariani,2020;Alonazi,2020, Vrontis et al., 2021 (Nair et al. 2016;Chong, et al., 2020;Alonazi, 2020;Vrontis et al., 2021) ...
... With then different advertisements, such as ads related to their preferences and interests and interactive ads, the customers are more likely to be influenced by them to purchase a product (Alalwan, 2018, pp.72-73). Companies can use celebrity and influencer marketing to market their products in another way, very often used in a way where the companies use influencers to spread a certain message or trend online to their followers and the target audience as sponsored content (Bognar et [77][78][79][80]. All of these aspects have been confirmed as accurate by the research. ...
Conference Paper
Full-text available
Human Resource Management (HRM) is a critical area for organizational development and has evolved with strategies oriented toward sustainability principles. The increase in environmental awareness, regulatory and political pressures, stakeholder expectations, changes in the labor market, and globalization challenges—such as the United Nations Global Compact which led to the development of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)—are factors contributing to the growth of scientific studies and organizational adoption of Sustainable Human Resource Management (SHRM). Given that the literature on SHRM is fragmented, diverse, and presents difficulties regarding consensus, the objective of this study is to identify and clarify the inconsistencies concerning the differences and interdependencies among the various approaches to HRM oriented toward sustainability. To achieve this objective, the study employed a systematic literature review in international databases (Scopus and Web of Science). Based on the theoretical foundation, the study identified trends in SHRM, the conceptual framework, the different aspects of associated terminologies, and a comparative analysis of HRM models. As a result, a theoretical framework of recommendations was developed to guide SHRM in contributing to the achievement of the SDGs. Given the lack of consensus on SHRM, further research, particularly empirical studies, is necessary to consolidate terms, concepts, and the feasibility of SHRM practices. Additionally, SHRM models could be developed to support governments, businesses, institutions, and organizations, thereby meeting the sustainability demands of society, science, and organizations. Keywords: SDG, Sustainable Human Resource Management, Sustainability, Human Resources
... With then different advertisements, such as ads related to their preferences and interests and interactive ads, the customers are more likely to be influenced by them to purchase a product (Alalwan, 2018, pp.72-73). Companies can use celebrity and influencer marketing to market their products in another way, very often used in a way where the companies use influencers to spread a certain message or trend online to their followers and the target audience as sponsored content (Bognar et [77][78][79][80]. All of these aspects have been confirmed as accurate by the research. ...
Conference Paper
Full-text available
As 2030 approaches, the deadline for implementing the United Nations' 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and the concern about sustainability increases globally. Organizations and countries are still far from achieving the goals set by the SDGs. Tourism, an important sector for global socioeconomic development, impacts and is impacted by different stakeholders, and can preserve and affect the environment and society. Given the importance of Armação dos Búzios, RJ, Brazil, as a tourist destination internationally recognized for its natural beauty and rich cultural heritage, the analysis of sustainability practices adopted by local accommodation facilities is extremely important to avoid the stagnation of the destination, allowing the place to continue attracting national and international tourists. Considering these aspects, this study aims to quantitatively measure the sustainable performance of accommodation facilities in Armação dos Búzios in light of the ESG (environmental, social and governance) criteria described in ABNT PR 2030:2022 (Associação Brasileira de Normas Técnicas – Prática Recomendada). To this end, a survey was carried out, based on data and information displayed on the websites of accommodation facilities located in the municipality. The results revealed the performance of the municipality and the accommodation facilities in relation to the ESG criteria of ABNT PR 2030:2022 and point out a gap by showing that, despite adopting some sustainable practices, the city's accommodation facilities are still far from a more significant performance. In terms of percentage values: five accommodation facilities stood out within the sample analyzed throughout the research, precisely because they are aligned with ESG practices based on ABNT PR 2030:2022 and for adequately publicizing their sustainability initiatives on their websites.
... Thus, this indicated that H1 is supported. In addition, these results are consistent with previous studies (Armstrong, 2012;Burke & Day, 1986;Dermol & Čater, 2013;Hale, 2002;Harel & Tzafrir, 1999;Li et al., 2008;Putra et al., 2024;Samuel & Chipunza, 2009;Vlachos, 2008;Vrontis, Chaarani, Nemar, & Dib, 2021) who posited that training constitutes a pivotal factor influencing nurses' performance. That indicates a beneficial relationship between the education and skill-building activities nurses undergo and their effectiveness on the job. ...
Article
Purpose: This paper investigates the impact of socially responsible human resource management practices on nurses’ performance in Lebanon’s healthcare sectors. It examines how certain HRM practices, namely training, compensation, performance evaluation, work-family balance and occupational health and safety affect nurses’ performance. Design/Methodology/Approach: Survey data was collected from 389 public and private sector nurses. Structural equation modeling was used for analysis. Findings: The results show a positive impact of socially responsible human resources management practices, namely training, compensation, and occupational health and safety on nurses’ performance. Conclusion: The findings draw attention to the important role played by SRHRM in evoking nurses’ performance. Research Implications: At the academic level, it provides supplementary literature for the under-researched sector in Lebanon. It might thus open up additional research opportunities that aim to broaden the perspective of the topic. At the practical level, the findings offer hospitals the tools to be competitive in retaining nurses. It is also expected to aid policymakers and HR practitioners with means to ensure a better quality of service is provided for the patients. Originality and Value: This research might be considered the first to investigate the mentioned topic.
... The study of EI is of interest to a wide range of professional and business situations such as counseling, consulting, teaching children, management, and human resources. The importance of these related areas of businesses in reference to the inclusion of EI is becoming understood and utilized in today's profession and organizations to create socially and emotionally smart environments [6,7]. ...
Article
Full-text available
Emotional intelligence (EI) is increasingly recognized as a critical factor in effective conflict resolution within organizations. This paper explores the dimensions of EI and its impact on managing organizational conflicts. Through a detailed examination of EI components such as self-awareness, self-regulation, empathy, and social skills, the paper elucidates how these competencies enhance conflict resolution strategies. It also discusses various types of conflicts in organizations and the challenges faced in resolving them. Furthermore, the paper outlines strategies for developing EI in the workplace to foster a more harmonious and productive organizational environment. The findings suggest that EI not only improves interpersonal relationships but also enhances overall organizational effectiveness by enabling better conflict management.
... An individual's knowledge of and ability to control their emotions is part of their emotional intelligence (Vrontis et al., 2021). The ability model refers to individual cognition and emotions (Salovey & Mayer, 1989;Sánchez-Núñez et al., 2020). ...
... In general, emotional intelligence (EI) has a wide range of effects on healthcare, affecting clinical decision-making, worker wellbeing, and provider-patient interactions. The development of emotional intelligence (EI) skills in healthcare personnel is becoming more and more necessary as the industry changes and places a greater focus on patient-centered care and holistic approaches to health (Vrontis et al. 2021). Healthcare organizations can generate a culture of compassion and empathy in the delivery of healthcare, improve workforce satisfaction and retention, and improve patient outcomes by investing in programs that develop emotional intelligence. ...
Article
Full-text available
The usefulness of emotional intelligence (EI) training courses for healthcare professionals in Kolkata is investigated in this study. Improving emotional intelligence (EI) in medical professionals is essential for fostering resilience and improving patient care outcomes in the face of increasing demands and stressors in the healthcare sector. A structured emotional intelligence (EI) training program was completed by a sample of healthcare professionals from different disciplines with the goal of enhancing their interpersonal communication, emotional awareness, and regulation abilities. Validated measures were used for pre-and post-training assessments to assess changes in emotional intelligence (EI), stress management, and general well-being. After the training intervention, participants' EI competencies significantly improved, according to statistical analyses. In particular, participants showed improvements in their capacity to identify and control their emotions, interact empathetically with patients and coworkers, and successfully handle stressful situations at work. Furthermore, among healthcare providers, the training program was linked to lower self-reported stress levels as well as higher levels of confidence and job satisfaction. These results highlight the potential for focused emotional intelligence (EI) training programs to equip healthcare workers with critical abilities for managing the demands of their jobs and creating productive work environments that support the best possible patient care.
Article
Full-text available
This research aims to analyze how emotional intelligence facilitates the process of organizational adaptation in response to rapidly changing and complex business environments, thereby contributing to the achievement of sustainable competitive advantage. This research uses a quantitative method, gathering data through 400 survey responses from 60 companies in the textile industry sector in Indonesia. SEM techniques are employed to analyze data in order to investigate the connections between sustainable competitive advantage, organizational adaptation, and emotional intelligence. The findings indicate that emotional intelligence has a positive and significant impact on organizational adaptation, which in turn positively influences sustainable competitive advantage. These results highlight the importance of developing emotional intelligence among leaders and employees as a strategy to enhance organizational adaptability and maintain long-term competitive advantage. The implications of this study include recommendations for managers and organizational leaders to focus on improving emotional intelligence as part of human resource development initiatives. Additionally, this research provides insights for academics on the importance of the interaction between individual psychological factors and organizational dynamics in the context of sustainable competitive advantage. Ultimately, this study underscores the strategic value of emotional intelligence in fostering resilient and adaptable organizations capable of sustaining a competitive edge in dynamic markets.
Article
Full-text available
Job satisfaction is the fulfilment or enjoyment that a person derives from their job. Job satisfaction has been a focal point of social sciences studies since the early 1900s, due to its substantial impact on employees’ mental health, as well as its influence on the workplace atmosphere and productivity. This study aims to ascertain the determinants of job satisfaction in the Lebanese construction sector. The primary data was gathered through a quantitative structured questionnaire, while the sample amounted to 106 employees in the construction sector. The results of the study revealed a significant positive relation between payment (salary), financial benefits, promotion, and personal job satisfaction. In addition, this study revealed a non-significant connection between gender, age, package incentives, job security, rank, relationships with co-workers, stress/work–family conflict, designation (social recognition), and job satisfaction.
Article
Full-text available
Purpose-This paper investigates the firm-level benefits, especially for Lebanese small and medium enterprises (SMEs), of offering employees actions that are consistent with their sound values in addition to intellectual simulation within an innovative environment. It also evaluates variations in perceived effects of implementing service and transformational leadership on organizational learning, and examines the effect of causal factors such as perceived organizational innovativeness and CSR. Design/methodology/approach-A large convenient sample of 284 front-line managers was surveyed, using a 15-item instrument based on previous research. The researchers used factor analysis to ascertain construct validity, based on two suitability tests: the Kaisers-Meyer-Olkin (KMO) measure of sampling adequacy and the Bartless test of sphericity. The dimensions were found to be reliable, with Cronbach's alpha ranging between 0.70 and 0.95. Findings-Findings from path analysis support the research hypotheses that impact of the direct and positive effect of leadership on organizational learning is strengthened via the mediating variables: CSR and innovativeness.Originality-This article empirically correlates two main fields of management research within the context of a developing country: leadership and organizational learning with focus on changing behavior.
Article
Full-text available
Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate the impact of human resource management (HRM) practices on the performance of Jordanian banks as determined by using the balanced scorecard (BSC) performance measurement system and by testing the effect of organizational citizenship behavior (OCB) as a possible mediator variable. Design/methodology/approach – A questionnaire was used to collect data from the study sample, which consisted of 230 managers working in various banks across Jordan. The study hypotheses were then tested using SPSS and AMOS software by applying structural equation models (SEMs). Findings – The data set revealed that the use of HRM practices had a significant impact on both employee OCB and bank performance in all the four dimensions of the BSC ( financial, customer satisfaction, internal processes, learning and growth). In addition, OCB was found to have a positive significant impact on organizational performance. Moreover, results indicated that OCB partially mediates the relationship between HRM practices and organizational performance. Originality/value – The authors examine the impact HRM practices on the organization performance through the mediation role of OCB. The results obtained from this study extend the existing literature by providing evidences from non-western country such as Jordan. Based on the findings, the theoretical and practical implications of the study as well as limitations and suggestions for future studies are also discussed.
Article
Full-text available
Purpose The purpose of this paper is to address two of the major questions in the relationship between emotional intelligence (EI) and leadership effectiveness: does EI conceptualized and assessed as an ability influence leadership effectiveness when controlling for cognitive intelligence and Big Five personality traits? And, what are mediating processes in this relationship? Design/methodology/approach Ability test data for EI for 84 leaders in an assessment center were used to predict unobtrusive observations of leader responses to subordinate’s emotions in a role play, and expert ratings of leadership effectiveness, controlling for cognitive ability and Big Five personality traits. Findings EI predicted the appropriateness of leader responses to subordinate’s emotions, and these responses mediated the relationships of EI and leadership effectiveness, controlling for cognitive ability and Big Five personality traits. Research limitations/implications The assessment center context represents a relatively artificial environment and follow-up research in field settings would be particularly valuable. Practical implications EI can be assessed as a selection tool for leadership positions. Leadership development programs can also focus on developing the skills associated with EI. Originality/value The study provides stronger evidence for the relationship between EI and leadership effectiveness than previous research, bolstering the confidence in conclusions regarding this relationship. The study also contributes to the development of process models of the influence of EI on leadership effectiveness by providing evidence regarding mediation.
Article
Full-text available
Public service workers require higher levels of emotional intelligence because most public service jobs involve emotionally intense work focused on service to the public. Moreover, such emotional work may lead to a high degree of burnout and job dissatisfaction, which directly relates to organizational outcomes. Focusing on public service workers, the present study investigates the relationships between the dimensions of emotional intelligence and job satisfaction, on the one hand, and the dimensions of emotional intelligence and burnout, on the other. In the sample of 167 public service workers in the US, using employed structural equation modeling, the findings reveal that emotion regulation is significantly and negatively related to burnout and that emotional self-awareness is significantly and positively related to job satisfaction. Points for practitioners This study contributes to understanding the relationship between the emotional intelligence dimension and burnout, and the emotional intelligence dimension and job satisfaction, in public service jobs. Emotional intelligence plays a significant role for public service workers whose work involves emotionally intense job characteristics. The findings show that training in emotional intelligence abilities may increase job satisfaction and decrease burnout. Practitioners and professionals working in public management and administration may consider measures of emotional intelligence, especially emotional self-awareness and emotion regulation, in the recruitment process to select potentially effective job applicants.
Article
Employee performance has become an important factor in a company's success and development. Facing occupational stress in various working fields, especially nursing, seems to be an increasing challenge lately. This research investigates the environmental, situational, and individual factors that affect nurses' level of stress. It also measures the impact of stress on nurses' work performance. The data collected from 100 nurses in different hospitals shows a positive relationship between environmental and situational factors and a nurse's stress and a non-significant correlation between personal factors and nurse stress is found. The results also reveal a positive correlation between stress and overall nurse performance.
Article
Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the role of managerial strategies in promoting employee brand consistent behavior. Using a recently developed holistic model of behavioral branding, that suggests that a wide array of managerial strategies affects the branding process, this study addresses two specific questions: what communication strategies, in the opinion of managers, sustain employee brand consistent behavior? And what are the most important factors, both contextual and related to their cognitive-emotional states, that employees think affect their brand ambassadorship behavior? Design/methodology/approach A long-term research program was conducted based on a multiple methods research strategy to answer the two questions. The choice of different methods was mainly based on the specific characteristics of the two targets: communication managers and employees. The first one based on interviews with 32 managers, and the second one based on a case study of a single company. Findings The results show that enablement-oriented strategies are more effective than communication-oriented strategies in sustaining employee brand builder roles. Weak employee commitment, unsatisfactory external communication, and low levels of motivation are strong contextual factors inhibiting employee attitudes to brand ambassadorship, one of the most relevant employee brand consistent behaviors in competitive contexts. The main practical implication is that companies should engage employees as brand ambassadors, not by means of prescriptions of in-role behavior, but enablement strategies leading to authentic and voluntary behaviors; besides, that companies should put a significant effort in “preparing the soil,” i.e. investing in enhancing employee commitment, level of motivation, and understanding/alignment with the external communication. Practical implications The main practical implication is that companies should engage employees as brand ambassadors not by means of in-role behavior prescriptions rather by means of enablement strategies leading to authentic and voluntary behaviors. Besides, managers should invest significant efforts in enhancing employee motivation, commitment, and understanding/alignment to external communication as they represent key factors in sustaining brand ambassadorship behaviors. Originality/value The values of the study lies in having highlighted the crucial role of enablement-oriented strategies, and the relevance of specific contextual variables affecting the attitude of employee toward brand consistent behaviors.
Chapter
Leadership theories hold a pertinent place in the effective management of people. In the Contemporary scenario, business leaders and managers have a huge onus on themselves of driving a workforce thriving with diverse Human Resource Management challenges. Interest in the role Emotional Intelligence in the workplace has increased in recent years, with greater emphasis on the benefits of understanding and utilizing emotions for managing people at work. In the contemporary scenario, the role of emotional intelligence competencies as predictors of leadership is being researched in order to leverage this information for increased leader effectiveness and performance. The present study identifies the congruence between various aspects of emotional intelligence and essential leadership competencies. It also identifies the role of Emotional intelligence in the effectiveness of Transformational Leaders.
Article
Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore the influence of organizational culture and leadership style on employees’ job satisfaction, organizational commitment and work motivation in the educational sector in the state of Qatar. Design/methodology/approach The study was conducted using a questionnaire with a sample size of 364 employees in the educational sector in Qatar. Data were analyzed using factor analysis, Pearson correlation and multiple linear regression, were employed to examine the relationships between the variables under investigation. Findings Significant positive relationships were observed between supportive culture and job satisfaction; supportive culture and organizational commitment; participative-supportive leadership and job satisfaction; directive leadership and job satisfaction; job satisfaction and work motivation; job satisfaction and organizational commitment. Practical implications This paper would help managers and policy-makers in the education sector to develop a better understanding of organizational culture and leadership styles and their influence on employee satisfaction, commitment and motivation. Originality/value The education sector is experiencing a fast growth in Qatar due to significant outlays by the government. This study is among the first in the country to understand the variables affecting employees’ performance in education sector.