TY - JOUR
T1 - Why does self-reported emotional intelligence predict job performance? A meta-analytic investigation of mixed EI
AU - Joseph, Dana L.
AU - Jin, Jing
AU - Newman, Daniel A.
AU - O'Boyle, Ernest H.
PY - 2015
Y1 - 2015
N2 - Recent empirical reviews have claimed a surprisingly strong relationship between job performance and self-reported emotional intelligence (also commonly called trait EI or mixed EI), suggesting selfreported/mixed EI is one of the best known predictors of job performance (e.g., ρ =.47; Joseph & Newman, 2010b). Results further suggest mixed EI can robustly predict job performance beyond cognitive ability and Big Five personality traits (Joseph & Newman, 2010b; O'Boyle, Humphrey, Pollack, Hawver, & Story, 2011). These criterion-related validity results are problematic, given the paucity of evidence and the questionable construct validity of mixed EI measures themselves. In the current research, we update and reevaluate existing evidence for mixed EI, in light of prior work regarding the content of mixed EI measures. Results of the current meta-analysis demonstrate that (a) the content of mixed EI measures strongly overlaps with a set of well-known psychological constructs (i.e., ability EI, self-efficacy, and self-rated performance, in addition to Conscientiousness, Emotional Stability, Extraversion, and general mental ability; multiple R =.79), (b) an updated estimate of the meta-analytic correlation between mixed EI and supervisor-rated job performance is ρ =.29, and (c) the mixed EI-job performance relationship becomes nil (β = -.02) after controlling for the set of covariates listed above. Findings help to establish the construct validity of mixed EI measures and further support an intuitive theoretical explanation for the uncommonly high association between mixed EI and job performance-mixed EI instruments assess a combination of ability EI and self-perceptions, in addition to personality and cognitive ability.
AB - Recent empirical reviews have claimed a surprisingly strong relationship between job performance and self-reported emotional intelligence (also commonly called trait EI or mixed EI), suggesting selfreported/mixed EI is one of the best known predictors of job performance (e.g., ρ =.47; Joseph & Newman, 2010b). Results further suggest mixed EI can robustly predict job performance beyond cognitive ability and Big Five personality traits (Joseph & Newman, 2010b; O'Boyle, Humphrey, Pollack, Hawver, & Story, 2011). These criterion-related validity results are problematic, given the paucity of evidence and the questionable construct validity of mixed EI measures themselves. In the current research, we update and reevaluate existing evidence for mixed EI, in light of prior work regarding the content of mixed EI measures. Results of the current meta-analysis demonstrate that (a) the content of mixed EI measures strongly overlaps with a set of well-known psychological constructs (i.e., ability EI, self-efficacy, and self-rated performance, in addition to Conscientiousness, Emotional Stability, Extraversion, and general mental ability; multiple R =.79), (b) an updated estimate of the meta-analytic correlation between mixed EI and supervisor-rated job performance is ρ =.29, and (c) the mixed EI-job performance relationship becomes nil (β = -.02) after controlling for the set of covariates listed above. Findings help to establish the construct validity of mixed EI measures and further support an intuitive theoretical explanation for the uncommonly high association between mixed EI and job performance-mixed EI instruments assess a combination of ability EI and self-perceptions, in addition to personality and cognitive ability.
KW - Emotional intelligence
KW - Heterogeneous domain sampling
KW - Job performance
KW - Personality
KW - Self-efficacy
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84929783000&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=84929783000&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1037/a0037681
DO - 10.1037/a0037681
M3 - Article
C2 - 25243996
AN - SCOPUS:84929783000
SN - 0021-9010
VL - 100
SP - 298
EP - 342
JO - Journal of Applied Psychology
JF - Journal of Applied Psychology
IS - 2
ER -