Share

Emotional intelligence at the workplace: private vs public sector

A new study from the University of Haifa shows that within the private sector, high levels of emotional intelligence (EI) empower positive attitudes towards the workplace and decrease negative behaviour; however, the same effect was not found within the public sector.

"The results of this study emphasise the existence of significant behavioural differences between the private and public sectors. Executives intending to carry out reforms or implement management plans in the public sector should be well aware of these differences," explains Dr Galit Meisler who conducted the study.

The research paper received the Outstanding Doctorate Award from the Israeli Political Science Association and was supervised by Professor Eran Vigoda-Gadot. It surveyed 809 employees and managers within four organisations: two in the public sector and two in the private sector.

A comparison between the two sectors revealed a higher level of organisational politics in the public sector. Moreover, the political skills of public sector employees were much more developed. Yet, significant differences in employees' emotional intelligence level were not found.

Greater impact on private sector employees

The study shows that emotional intelligence has a much greater impact on private sector employees' perceptions and attitudes compared to public sector employees. While no correlation was found between emotional intelligence and perceived organisational politics in the public sector, emotional intelligence was found to reduce perceptions of organisational politics in the private sector.

Moreover, the study found that employees from the public sector were more likely to use forceful influence tactics, regardless of their emotional intelligence level. In the private sector, however, employees with a higher level of emotional intelligence were less likely to use such tactics.

The study also revealed that in the private sector, emotional intelligence contributes to forming desirable attitudes towards the organisation, such as organisational justice, satisfaction at work and emotional commitment to the organisation.

High levels of emotional intelligence also reduce negative attitudes, such as burnout, intentions to leave and the tendency to neglect work. The impact of emotional intelligence in the public sector, on the other hand, was not as strong.

"We believe that the high level of organisational politics in the public sector and the stress associated with it decrease the positive effects of emotional intelligence for this sector," Meisler concluded. - (EurekAlert!, December 2010)

Read more:

Work and stress

Stress in the workplace

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE