Abstract
Career scholars have called for a broader definition of career success by inviting greater exploration of its antecedents. While success in various jobs has been predicted by intelligence and in other studies by competencies, especially in management, long term impact of having intelligence and using competencies has not been examined. Even in collegiate outcome studies, few have examined the longer term impact on graduates' careers or lives. This study assesses the impact of demonstrated emotional, social, and cognitive intelligence competencies assessed at graduation and g measured through GMAT at entry from an MBA program on career and life satisfaction, and career success assessed 5 to 19 years after graduation. Using behavioral measures of competencies (i.e., as assessed by others), we found that emotional intelligence competencies predict career satisfaction and success. Adaptability had a positive impact, but influence had the opposite effect on these career measures and life satisfaction. Life satisfaction was negatively affected by achievement orientation and positively affected by teamwork. Current salary, length of marriage, and being younger at time of graduation positively affect all three measures of life and career satisfaction and career success. GMAT (as a measure of g) predicted life satisfaction and career success to a slight but significant degree in the final model analyzed. Meanwhile, being female and number of children positively affected life satisfaction but cognitive intelligence competencies negatively affected it, and in particular demonstrated systems thinking was negative.
Highlights
Perhaps more than ever before, the career environment appears to be in constant flux
Regarding the relationships of emotional intelligence (EI) and social intelligence (SI) to g, we find that EI, SI and Cognitive intelligence (CI) show non- significant correlations with GMAT, which is an approximation of g
The findings suggest that those with greater achievement drive tend to be less satisfied with their current situation in life (β = −0.061, p ≤ 0.100), which is consistent with the expectation that high achievers often strive for greater accomplishments
Summary
Perhaps more than ever before, the career environment appears to be in constant flux. Changes are so rapid and evolving, that it is doubtful we fully understand the impact they are having on how we characterize the concept of a career. Amidst this flux, there has been an ongoing call for greater clarity as to the drivers of career success (Gunz and Heslin, 2005; Heslin, 2005). Career success has long been defined by objective outcomes (e.g., pay, promotion, etc.) These have not always been shown to be what equates with career or life satisfaction (Heslin, 2005). This has led researchers to explore subjective outcomes to define career success (e.g., career satisfaction, life satisfaction, etc.) (Hall, 2002; Greenhaus, 2003; Heslin, 2005)
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