The Effect of Emotional Intelligence on Organization Performance Using the Big Five Personality Traits”: An Applied Study on Higher Education Institutions

Abstract

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to investigate to what extent emotional intelligence (EI) affects organization performance through the Big Five personality traits (BFPT) in higher education institutions.

Design/Methodology: Based on the Structural Equation Model, this study examines 270 faculty members within a higher education institution, to test an estimated model presenting the effect of top management EI on organization performance in the presence of the BFPT. The hypothesized model indicates that there is no significance for the presence of the one of the dimensions of EI domain as an independent variable. Thus, this dimension is deleted and another hypothesized model is re-estimated.

Results/Findings: The findings revealed that EI would strongly predict organization performance through the BFPT. Specifically, only three out of four dimensions of EI would predict organization performance through only three effective dimensions out of five of the BFPT.

Theoretical and practical implications: The findings enable a better theoretical understanding of how BFPT mediates the effects of EI on organization performance. Furthermore, the implications from this study allows human resources professionals to improve investigating personalities of potential management before hiring, as well as training and developing current management, as stable management personalities within any organization are vital to achieve high performance.

Keywords: Emotional intelligence, Big Five Personality traits, and organization performance.

DOI: 10.7176/JAAS/76-06

Publication date:October 31^st 2021