Leader emotional intelligence and subordinate job satisfaction: A meta-analysis of main, mediator, and moderator effects

Abstract

Based on a meta-analysis, leaders' emotional intelligence (EI) positively relates to subordinates' job satisfaction (ρ̂=0.308). All three EI streams (ability, self-report, mixed) exhibit significant incremental validity and relative importance (RW) in the presence of personality and cognitive ability in predicting subordinates' job satisfaction (ability EI: ΔR2=0.002, RW%=3.5%; self-report EI: ΔR2=0.021, RW%=25.3%; mixed EI: ΔR2=0.085, RW%=49.9%). Leaders' EI demonstrates significant incremental validity and RW in the presence of subordinates' EI in predicting subordinates' job satisfaction (leaders' EI: ΔR2=0.054, RW%=48.0%). Subordinates' EI positively relates to leaders' EI and mediates the relationship between leaders' EI and subordinates' job satisfaction. Moderator analyses indicate that (1) ability EI has a lower association with subordinates' job satisfaction than self-report EI and mixed EI; and (2) leaders' EI more positively relates to subordinates' job satisfaction in low in-group collectivistic or low humane oriented cultures.