Resilience and Emotional Intelligence: A Dynamic Partnership for Human Re-sources Professionals in Today’s Workplace

Abstract

Purpose – The connection between participants’ scores on a resiliency instrument and their scores on the Schutte Self Report Emotional Intelligence Test (SSEIT) were examined. This is significant to human resource professionals because they can use the findings to develop and strengthen employees’ levels of resilience. The reasons for writing the paper are to provide data to human resource professionals so that they may develop workplace programs that build on emotional intelligence and resilience. Employees high in emotional intelligence are engaged employees. There is a gap in prior literature on the relationship between resilience and emotional intelligence and how this knowledge impacts human resource professionals. Aims(s) – The aims of this paper were to evaluate the relationship between resiliency and emotional intelligence. The study explored gender, age and GPA on resiliency and emotional intelligence. Design/methodology/approach –This was a quantitative research study. Participants answered questions on a six-point Likert-type scale ranging from strongly agree to strongly disagree relating to resiliency and emotional intelligence. There were two total scores. The convenient sample consisted of 266 undergraduate and graduate students. 197 females and 68 males, ages ranging from 18 to 65 years old. Findings – The data were analysed using SPSS (Statistical Package for the Social Sciences) 28.0 version. A Pearson correlation revealed a strong correlation between the scores on the SSEIT and the Resiliency scale (r=.599). Limitations of the study – Convenient sampling was used for this study. Participants self-reported. The implications for future research are to gather data from other industries and more globally. Practical implications – Findings suggest resilience and emotional intelligence are related and these skills can be developed through workplace training. Originality/value – Human resource practitioners can build a workforce equipped with the skills to develop relationships and a sense of self-awareness, they can lean on this knowledge to develop their employees and organizations.

Keywords

• emotional intelligence
• resiliency
• human resources
• employees’ performance