The relationship between emotional intelligence in leadership and organizational performance of nurses in general hospitals

Abstract

In order to effectively attain the objectives of an organization, it is important for the leader to provide an environment where members can co-exist and mutually advance, and also to have an emotional impact on them. This study examines the structural relationship among emotional intelligence in leadership, organizational commitment, job satisfaction, turnover intention, and organizational performance effects of emotional leadership in the nursing profession of a general hospital. A structured questionnaire was sent to 550 nurses in 11 general hospitals in Seoul Metropolitan City, among which 350 responses were used in the analysis. The independent variable, emotional intelligence in leadership, was measured by 18 items, including self-awareness, self-regulation, social awareness and relationship management. The dependent variable, organizational effectiveness, consisted of 46 items, including 15 items regarding organizational commitment, 20 items on job satisfaction, 3 items on turnover intention and 8 items on organizational performance. The structural equation modeling technique was used to identify the impact of emotional intelligence in leadership on organizational effectiveness. The results of the analysis show that the emotional intelligence in leadership of superior nurses has a significant impact on the nurses`organizational commitment and job satisfaction. While the direct effect on turnover intention and organizational performance was not significantly high, organizational commitment and job satisfaction were parameters in low turnover intention and high job performance. In conclusion, emotional intelligence in leadership is critical as nursing services in hospitals are based on interpersonal relationships. Therefore, by developing appropriate programs and training, hospitals can anticipate improved self-awareness, self-regulation, social awareness and relationship management of nurses, and further improve the effectiveness of the nursing profession.