The Effect of Emotional Intelligence on Job Satisfaction: A Case Study of SME Management Consultants in Korea

Abstract

SMEs are constantly demanded of changes in the rapidly-evolving business environment, which involves the fourth industrial revolution and the COVID-19 pandemic. In this period, management consulting service becomes more in demand to provide technical and strategic solutions for management problems. This study aimed to empirically analyze the direct effects of emotional intelligence on job satisfaction and the indirect effects of such parameters as learning agility and self-efficacy on job satisfaction in management consultants. On the basis of a literature review, inter-variable association was designed in the research model. Based on an online survey of those in the Korean SME management consultants, this study collected 221 questionnaires then used structural equation modeling for statistical analysis. The results reveal that emotional intelligence significantly affected job satisfaction and, also significantly positively affected learning agility and self-efficacy. In addition, a significant indirect correlation could be found between learning agility and self-efficacy. Meanwhile, if learning agility and self-efficacy mediated job satisfaction, emotional intelligence had no significant effect on job satisfaction and fully mediated learning agility and self-efficacy. It is necessary to develop an emotional intelligence education program that can help management consultants improve their emotional intelligence with the objective of giving successful management consulting services.