The Role of Emotional Intelligence in Enhancing Life Satisfaction Among Hospitality Professionals in India.

Abstract

Background: In the hospitality industry, professionals are frequently required to manage their emotions effectively due to high job demands and constant customer interactions. Emotional Intelligence (EI) is believed to play a crucial role in enabling employees to handle such emotional labour efficiently.

Purpose: This study investigates the impact of four dimensions of EI-Use of Others' Emotions (UOEs), Others' Emotions Appraisal (OEAs), Regulation of Emotions (ROEs) and Self-emotions Appraisal (SEAs), as conceptualised by Wong and Law-on employees' Satisfaction with Life (SWLs) within the Indian hospitality sector. The study also examines the convergent and discriminant validity of the measurement scales.

Methods: A quantitative research design was employed, using a sample of 238 employees from the Indian hospitality industry. Data were analysed using AMOS 24 and SPSS version 21.0 to assess the reliability and validity of the constructs and to evaluate the structural model.

Results: Findings indicate that OEAs significantly and positively influences SWLs (β = +0.32, p < .001). All EI constructs, along with SWLs, demonstrated strong psychometric properties, with average variance extracted values exceeding 0.5 and composite reliability values above 0.7, confirming both convergent and discriminant validity.

Conclusion: The results underscore the critical role of emotional intelligence, particularly the appraisal of others' emotions, in enhancing life satisfaction among hospitality professionals. The study validates the reliability and applicability of Wong and Law's EI model in the Indian hospitality context and offers insights for employee development strategies in emotion-intensive work environments.