Relationship between Emotional Intelligence and Performance of Employees in Tertiary Institutions: The Mediating Role of Work Motivation

Abstract

Emotional intelligence is an important concept in organisational psychology that plays a significant role in the performance of employees. Despite this, empirical investigation on the mediating role of work motivation in the relationship between emotional intelligence and job performance is under-researched. Hence, this study examined the relationship between emotional intelligence and job performance with the introduction of work motivation as a mediating variable. The descriptive survey involved a heterogeneous sample of 370 non-academic staff from selected tertiary institutions in Ekiti State, Nigeria. The relationship between EI and performance was tested using multiple linear regression, while the mediation model was analysed through the Hayes bootstrapping method in SPSS version 25. Findings from the study suggested self-emotion appraisal and regulation of emotion as statistically significant predictors of job performance. Work motivation was found to partially mediate the relationship between EI and job performance among the sample.