Emotional intelligence: for human resource managers

• Published in: Management research news Vol. 25; no. 11; pp. 57 - 74
• Main Author: Poon Teng Fatt, James
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Patrington MCB UP Ltd 01.11.2002; Emerald Group Publishing Limited
• Subjects: Cognitive ability; College students; Education; Emotional intelligence; Emotions; Human resource management; Intelligence; Leadership; Managers; Salespeople; Small & medium sized enterprises-SME; Students; Studies; Success; Supervisors; China; Singapore; Intelligence; Students; Human resource management
• ISSN: 0140-9174; 2040-8269; 1758-6135; 2040-8277
• DOI: 10.1108/01409170210783223

Does intelligence alone explain our achievement at work or in life. Contrary to our belief that academic achievement matters very much in the success we have in working life, Chen, et al. (1998) have shown that close to 90 per cent of success in leadership positions is attributable to Emotional Intelligence (EI). Considering that EI can be a potential determinant of our achievement in working life, this study aims to determine if there is any significant difference in the EI of local and foreign undergraduates studying in universities in Singapore. The "Emotional IQ Test" was administered to 100 undergraduates from various fields of studies from the National University of Singapore and Nanyang Technological University, of which 31 had a foreign education background. This study showed that foreign undergraduates have a higher EI score than those with a local education background. In addition, by examining the relationships between variables such as age, gender, year of study and EI, it was found that males have higher EI scores than females. The implication for managers is that staff should be evaluated on their own merits such as their EI rather than on academic results.