Relationship Between Emotional Intelligence and Job Performance of Managers in Public Sector Enterprises in Kerala

Organizations have to manage change in an effective way. Emotional intelligence plays an important role in helping the managers and employees to cope with the changes in the business environment. From the perspective of the humanistic existential approach, everyone has the potential to grow and develop. Assessing one's emotional intelligence and presenting the findings affords one an opportunity to engage in self-exploration which may potentially lead to self-growth and self-actualisation and indirectly lead to improved job performance. Emotional intelligence can play a significant role in the work environment (George 2000, Goleman, Boyatzis and Mckee 2002, Law, Wong, Song, 2004; Sy and Cote, 2004; Wong and Law 2002). Specifically researchers assert that employee's EI can predict work related outcomes such as job satisfaction and job performance (Bachman, Stein, Campbell and Sitarenior, 2000; Prati, Douglas, Ferris, Ammeter, and Buckley, 2003; Wong and Law, 2002). A study was conducted to know the relationship between workplace outcomes and Emotional Intelligence (EI) among managers in Public Sector Enterprises (PSE) in Kerala. The variables used in this study include Emotional Intelligence and Job Performance. Emotional intelligence factors include perceiving emotions, using emotions, understanding emotions and managing emotions. Job performance factors include job related factors, task related factors, cooperation, coordination, commitment and dedication. The study was administered by using a structured questionnaire. A five point Likert scale was used to record the response. The data were collected from 100 managers of select Public Sector Enterprises in Kerala. The questionnaire used for this study consists of three sections. Section A collected the demographical data of the respondents. Section B and C consist of statements of emotional intelligence and job performance factors. Public Sector Enterprises in Kerala were selected on the basis of criteria such as profitability and number of managers working in them. Judgment sampling was used to select the respondents from selected firms. Hypothesis were formulated and tested using statistical tools. The study revealed that Emotional Intelligence and workplace outcomes are very much interrelated and affect each other. The results provide preliminary evidence that EI measured as a set of abilities, is positively associated with job performance of managers in Public Sector Enterprises in Kerala. The outcome of the study helps managers in Public Sector Enterprises to acquaint more about their own and others emotions (EI), which is proven to have a powerful role in their own job performance. The role of Emotional Intelligence in organizational settings has provided important insights into the way in which people in organizations behave, and enlightens the managers to develop and maintain a positive emotional climate in their organization. Achieving emotional intelligence skills for managers are very vital in the augmentation of efficiency and job performance. Stressing the need to have an understanding of the importance of emotional intelligence in improving job performance by the Public Sector Enterprises is the contribution of this study. By applying emotional intelligence, it is possible to improve managers’ and employees’ job performance as well as effectiveness and efficiency of the organizations. So it is better that the company should add a soft skills category as part of its performance appraisal of Managers.