The Role of Trait Emotional Intelligence in a Gender‐Specific Model of Organizational Variables¹

TLDR

The study examined how trait emotional intelligence relates to perceived job control, job stress, job satisfaction, and organizational commitment. The authors used multigroup structural equation modeling on gender‑specific data (N = 167, 87 females) to explore trait EI’s workplace implications. Results showed that perceived job control reduced stress and increased satisfaction, stress lowered satisfaction, satisfaction strongly boosted commitment, age negatively impacted control and commitment only in females, and trait EI had specific rather than widespread effects.

Abstract

This article investigated the relationships between trait emotional intelligence (“trait EI” or “emotional self‐efficacy”) and 4 job‐related variables (perceived job control, job stress, job satisfaction, and organizational commitment). Gender‐specific data ( N =167, 87 females) were analyzed via multigroup structural equation modeling. Perceived job control had a negative effect on stress and a positive effect on satisfaction. Stress had a negative effect on satisfaction, which, in turn, had the strongest positive effect on commitment. There were many gender differences in the model, mainly concerning age, which was negatively related to control and commitment in the female sample only. Trait EI had specific, rather than widespread, effects in the model. Discussion focuses on trait EI's implications in the workplace.