Exploring the Relationship among University Teachers' Emotional Intelligence, Emotional Labor Strategies, and Teaching Satisfaction

Abstract

In this study we investigated the impact of emotional intelligence on university teacher satisfaction with emotional labor strategies as mediators. In order to evaluate this relationship, three scales were used WLEIS, TELSS and TSS for emotional intelligence, emotional labor strategies and teaching satisfaction respectively. The data was collected from 449 university teachers including both adjunct and permanent. Structured equation model and phantom model were utilized to analyze the mediating effect of emotional labor strategies on emotional intelligence and teaching satisfactions. In this study second-order factor of emotional intelligence was used and findings showed that emotional intelligence has a significant positive relationship with teaching satisfaction whereas surface acting and deep acting have negative impact on teaching satisfaction. However, expressions of naturally felt emotions have a positive insignificant relationship with the dependent variable. Surface acting and deep acting when worked as a mediator, they resulted in negative association between emotional intelligence and teaching satisfaction. Generally, this research revealed that emotional intelligence was critically important for the satisfaction of teachers with their work. This study would also help the university management to incorporate those emotional labor strategies which would in turn enhance teaching satisfaction. Keywords: Emotional Intelligence, Emotional labor strategies, Teacher satisfaction, University, Pakistan.