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Procedía - Social and Behavioral Sciences 129 (2014) 75 - 81
ICIMTR 2013
International Conference on Innovation, Management and Technology Research, Malaysia, 22 - 23 September, 2013
The Relationship between Emotional Intelligence and Job Performance of Call Centre Agents
Noorazzila Shamsuddin,a1 Ramlee Abdul Rahmanb
a Faculty of Business Management, Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM), Kampus Kelantan b Faculty of Business Management, Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM), Shah Alam
Abstract
This study attempted to investigate the relationship between emotional intelligence and job performance of call centre agents. Two call centres located at Kuala Lumpur were selected as the subject of this study involving 118 respondents. The self-report emotional scale developed by Wong & Law (2002) known as Wong and Law Emotional Intelligence Scale (WLEIS) had been adapted as the measurement for the level of EI among the call centre agents. All the items in the independent and dependent variables were tested through reliability test to ensure the reliability of the scale. The correlational analysis was carried out and the result indicated there was a relationship between EI and job performance. Hence, multiple regression analysis was conducted to examine the variance in dependent variable through independent variable by giving the relative contribution of each independent variable. The findings of the study indicated there was significant relationship between emotional intelligence and job performance. Moreover, two EI dimensions contributed to job performance, namely regulation appraisal emotion (RAE) and use of emotion (UOE). Analysis of the moderator variable, indicated gender did not affect the relationship between the independent variable (EI) and dependent variable (Job performance).
© 2014The Authors.PublishedbyElsevierLtd.Thisis anopenaccessarticle underthe CCBY-NC-NDlicense (http://creativecommons.Org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/).
Selection and peer-review under responsibility of Universiti Malaysia Kelantan Keywords: Emotional Intelligence (EI); Job Performance; Call Centre Agents
1 Corresponding author. Tel.: +6-010-9812721. E-mail address: nzila614@kelantan.uitm.edu.my
1877-0428 © 2014 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license
(http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/).
Selection and peer-review under responsibility of Universiti Malaysia Kelantan
doi: 10.1016/j.sbspro.2014.03.650
1. INTRODUCTION
Call centre agent is the person that responsible in handling incoming and outgoing calls (Adma, 2001). Call centre agents are expected to portray positive and professional corporate image towards the customers. However, according to Taylor and Bain (1999) many call centre agents have trouble dealing with rejection and hostility from customers. Failure in developing effective EI among employees could cause negative influence toward task accomplishment, therefore resulting risk in individual and company growth and success (Suliman & Al-Shaikh, 2007). EI contributed job performance by allowing people to control own emotions and manage stress, further ensure good performance even under pressure by adapting to organizational change (Lopes, Grewal, Kadis, Gall, & Salovey, 2006). Emotional intelligence (EI) also very important ability, especially in the service sector (O'Boyle, Humphrey, Pollack, Hawver & Story, 2010). In addition, Hsi-An and Ely (2010) indicated properly managed EI helps employees to use their emotions intelligently, especially in selecting appropriate conflict management style in conflicts and enhance job performance.
2. LITERATURE REVIEW
2.1. Emotional Intelligence (EI)
Emotional intelligence has become an interesting topic for discussion among researchers for many years (Lopes, Grewal, Kadis, Gall, & Salovey, 2006). Mayer, DiPaolo and Salovey (1990) defined emotional intelligence as part of social intelligence that consists of the ability to observe own and other emotions, can differentiate these types of emotions and use the information received about the emotions as guidance for thinking and to react. On the other hand, Goleman (1998), as cited by Poon (2002) indicated emotional intelligence, as the capability to recognize own and other feelings to motivate one-self and properly manage the emotions in a relationship. Mayer & Salovey (1997) (as cited by Mayer, Caruso and Salovey (1999) developed the ability based model of emotional intelligence consisting of four major areas, reflectively regulating emotions, understanding emotions, assimilating emotions in thoughts and perceiving and expressing emotions. Caruso, Mayer and Salovey, (2002) had introduced the Multifactor Emotional Intelligence Scale (MEIS) to measures the features and designs of emotions, developing and analyzing of using emotions, describe the difficult terms of emotions and choose the most favorable strategy of emotional decision-making. This measurement has evolved to MSCEIT Research version 1.1 and MSCEIT Research version 2.0 (Mayer, Caruso, Salovey & Sitarenios, 2003). Goleman (2000) proposed competency-based model of emotional intelligence consisting of four major clusters, self-awareness, self-management, social awareness and relationship management. Emotional Competency Inventory (ECI) was designed to assess emotional competencies of individuals and organizations. The current version of the ECI is ECI Ver. 2.0 that measures eighteen competencies arranged in four clusters, self-awareness, self-management, social awareness and social skills (Relationship Management) (Sala, 2002). Bar-On model of Emotional-Social Intelligence (ESI), a cross-section of interrelated emotional and social competencies, skills and facilitators that determine how effective one understands others to cope with daily demands. Bar-On (2006) also developed EQ-i (Emotional Quotient Inventory) used to measure emotional and social intelligence of behaviour. On the other hand, Wong and Law (2002) had developed Wong and Law Emotional Intelligence Scale (WLEIS) that based on the model developed by Mayer & Salovey (1997). Their scale consists of four different dimensions, Self-emotion appraisal (SEA); Others' emotion appraisal (OEA); Regulation of emotion (ROE) and Use of emotion (UOE).
2.2. Job performance
Job performance is an important construct in organizational practice and research because it acts as the main role in most personnel decisions such as merit-based compensation, promotion and retention of employees (Scullen, Mount & Goff, 2000).
2.3. Emotional intelligence (EI) and job performance
Higgs (2004) discovered strong linkages between emotional intelligence and performance. In a study in a call centre environment showed emotional intelligence is related to job performance and self-management cluster showed the strongest relationship with job performance, and also directly related to performance in a call centre environment (Nel & De Villiers, 2004). However, Gryn (2010) indicated there is no statistically significant relationship between overall emotional intelligence and job performance. Nevertheless, the relationship between emotional intelligence and job performance seemed to be logical because of increasing trend of employers taking into account emotional intelligence of the applicants during recruitment and selection process also in employee development programs (Chaudry & Usman, 2011).
2.4. Emotional Intelligences across Gender Differences
Afolabi, Awosola and Omole (2010) discovered the existence of the influence of gender and emotional intelligence on job performance of Nigerian police officers. Moreover, gender differences in emotional intelligence can be identified based on the assessment tool used which self-report or performance measures (Sanchez-Nunez, Fernandez-Berrocal, Montanes & Latorre, 2008). Hence, gender differences also important in the domains of intelligence, emotional and facial processing (Castro-Schilo & Kee, 2010).
2.5. Conceptual framework
Based on the literatures reviewed, the study adopted the conceptual framework as indicated below:
Figure 1: A conceptual framework illustrating the Relationship between Emotional Intelligence and Job Performance.
Based on the review from previous literatures, the following hypotheses are developed:
H1 : There is a significant relationship between emotional intelligence influence job performance.
H2 : There is a significant relationship between self-emotion appraisal and job performance.
H3 : There is a significant relationship between others' emotion appraisal and job performance.
H4 : There is a significant relationship between use of emotion and job performance.
H5 : There is a significant relationship between regulation of emotion and job performance.
H6 : Gender moderates the relationship between emotional intelligence and job performance.
3. METHODOLOGY
The study examined the relationships between emotional intelligence and job performance of call centre agents; and also examined the effects of the moderator variable, gender, towards the relationship between emotional intelligence and job performance of call centre agents.
3.1. Participants and procedure
The respondents were call centre agents from two selected call centre located in Kuala Lumpur. The population for the study was selected from one department for both selected call centres due to the restriction imposed by both organizations. The sampling technique applied was disproportionate stratified random sampling. The population was 170 and the sample size was guided by Krejcie & Morgan (1970) table for determining a sample size from a given population. The sample size was decided at 118. The data collection instrument was questionnaire developed and validated by a group of experts from the Faculty of Business Management, University Teknologi MARA (UiTM). All items were answered using five item- Likert scale of strongly disagree to strongly agree.
3.2. Measures
Measurement for emotional intelligence was adapted from Wong & Law Emotional Intelligence Scale (WLEIS). Factor Analysis was conducted and the Kaiser-Meyer- Olkin value was 0.81 exceeding the recommended value of 0.6. The Bartlett's test is significant (p=.000), therefore the factor analysis was appropriate. Varimax Rotation techniques were used to determine the factors. As a result, the items in the fourth dimension of emotional intelligence which regulation of emotion (ROE) was included in the same components for the items of the second dimension of emotional intelligence which the others' emotion appraisal (OEA). The result was different compared to the Wong and Law (2002) study. Therefore, the new dimension of emotional intelligence was created that consist of the items from OEA and ROE. The new dimension was renamed as Regulation Appraisal Emotion (RAE). Measurement for job performance was adapted based on the service performance indicators that used by (Sawyerr, Srinivas & Sijun, 2009). The results showed the value of Kaiser-Mayer-Olkin was 0.82 exceeding the recommended value of 0.6. The Bartlett's test was significant (p=.000), therefore the factor analysis was appropriate and all items for three dimension were combine into one component, which Employee's Skill.
4. FINDINGS
4.1. Demographic profile of respondents
Female represented 74 or 62.75% and male represented 44 or 37.3% of the respondents. 63 or 53.4% of the respondents were aged between 18-25 years old and had majority working experiences of 42 (35.6%) years. The total working hours for most respondents were 8 (4.2%) hours a day.
4.2. Reliability analysis
The Cronbach's alpha values for both dependent and independent variable were 0.892 and 0.862 respectively.
4.3. Correlation analysis
There was a strong, positive relationship between the two variables, r=0.653, n=118, p<0.01, with high level of emotional intelligence associated with high level of job performance of the respondents. Table 1 shows the relationship between three dimensions of emotional intelligence and job performance. The strongest linear relationship was found to exist between use of emotion and job performance which r=0.656, n=118, p<0.01. The positive correlation coefficient indicated high level of use of emotion is associated with high level of job performance. The second highest was found existed between regulation
appraisal emotion and job performance where r=0.452, n=118, p<0.01 and the correlation coefficient indicated quite a strong relationship between regulation appraisal emotion and job performance. Finally, self-emotion appraisal and job performance also had quite a strong relationship where r=0.411, n=118, p<0.01 indicated high level of self-emotion appraisal associated with high level of job performance.
Table 1: Correlations among variables
No 12 3 4
1 Self-emotion appraisal - .440** .358** 411**
2 Regulation appraisal emotion - .374** .452**
3 Use of emotion - .656**
4 Job performance -
Multiple regression was used in exploring the predictive ability of a set of independent variables on one continuous dependent measure.
Table 2: Summary of hypotheses testing
Hypotheses
Value Remarks
ß= .653, p<.05 Accepted
ß= .135, p>.05 Rejected
ß= .192, p<.05 Accepted
ß= ß=- .536, p<0.5 -.472, p>0.5 Accepted Rejected
Hi H2 H3
Emotional intelligence significantly influences job performance
performance
Regulation appraisal emotion significantly influences job performance
H4 Use of emotion significantly influences job performance
intelligence and job performance
5. CONCLUSION
Based on the findings of the study, emotional intelligence did have the relationship towards job performance. However, only two from three dimensions of WLEIS had influences toward job performance. This is because the new dimension of WLEIS that resulted from the factor analysis which the regulation appraisal emotion (RAE) actually was the combination from the two dimensions of WLEIS which the others' emotion appraisal (OEA) and regulation of emotion (ROE). This is because people with the ability in appraising others' emotion and regulate own emotion, had high level of faith and courage that influence them to make realistic action and lead to high performances (Nasee, 2011). Even though, gender was identified for did not have a moderating effect towards the relationship. Emotional intelligence is important for the call centre agents because their intention to quit are higher compared to other industries due to the job stress, working environments and other related factors. It is hoped that this study can give wake up call to the organization to pay more attention towards the well-being of their employees by focusing more on psychological and physiological matters. In conclusion, it is hoped that this study can contribute for future research to make it better. There are some recommendations that can take into consideration for improvement in the future research. First, this study needs to be carried out with larger population so that it can be generalizable to other call centre environment. Larger sample also can help to examine gender differences more accurately. Second, further investigation need to be done regarding the measurement scale which WLEIS in order to determine the most appropriate items for each dimensions so it canprovide better results in the future. Third, the call centres can adapt WLEIS or other
emotional intelligence measurement scale as tool to evaluate potential candidates' psychological state during the selection and recruitment process. This is important in ensuring the suitability of the candidates with the job duties. Fourth, the call centres can conduct training in personal development so that their agents can have a better understanding in identifying, understanding and managing their own emotions and others especially emotions of their colleagues and the respective customers.
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