The Moderating Role of Emotional Intelligence on the Relationship Between Job Resources and Employee Engagement

Abstract

The purpose of the current study was to examine the moderating role of emotional intelligence on the relationship between job resources (i.e., perceived supervisor support and autonomy) and employee engagement. Previous research has shown that these job resources are related to employee engagement. However, little attention has been paid to the possible moderators of this relationship. Therefore, this study aimed to bridge the gap in current literature by investigating how the relationship between job resources and engagement might change as a function of a personal resource (emotional intelligence). It was hypothesized that the positive relationship between job resources (perceived supervisor support and autonomy) and employee engagement would be stronger for employees with high emotional intelligence than for those with low emotional intelligence. A total of 125 employed individuals from various industries participated in an online survey. Consistent with the literature, both perceived supervisor support and autonomy had strong positive relationships with engagement. However, emotional intelligence did not moderate the relationship between supervisor support and autonomy and employee engagement. It is suggested that companies educate and train their leaders on the importance and practice of providing their employees with supervisor support and autonomy in the workplace.