Mediating Effect of Social Support between the Emotional Intelligence and Job Satisfaction of Chinese Employees

Abstract

This study aims to examine the mediating effect of social support on the relation between emotional intelligence and job satisfaction. A total of 355 Chinese employees were recruited as participants, and they completed questionnaires that measured their emotional intelligence, social support, and job satisfaction. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was adopted to test the mediating effect, whereas bootstrap methods were used to assess the magnitude of the direct and indirect effects. Results suggest that emotional intelligence and social support are significantly correlated with job satisfaction. The results of SEM also indicate that social support partially mediates the effect of emotional intelligence on job satisfaction. The final model proves the relationship between emotional intelligence and job satisfaction through social support. The findings extend prior studies and shed light on how emotional intelligence improves job satisfaction.