4.4.1 The Influence of Demographic Variables on Job Stress
The one–way ANOVA is conducted to find the relationship between demographic variables and job stress. At the 0.05 level of significance, Table 4-14 indicates that significant differences are found between all demographic variables and job stress (p < 0.05). By Independent-Sample T test, we can know that male feels high level of job stress than females, single employees feel high level of job stress than married employees, and managers feel high level of job stress than non-managers.
By LSD Post Hoc Tests, we can know that employees who are 21 to 30 years old feel more job stress than who are over 41 years old; employees who have university degree feel more job stress than who have high school and certificate of graduation, employees who have postgraduate degree feel more job stress than who have high school and certificate of graduation; employees who are under 5-year tenure feel more job stress than who are over 14-year tenure, and employees who are under 1-year tenure feel more job stress than who are 6 to 13 year tenure.
Table 4-14 The Influence of Demographic Variables on Job Stress variables with 1 equal to “male”, “Under 20 years old”, “high school graduate”, “married”,
“Under 1 year”, and “manager”, respectively.
4.4.2 The Influence of Demographic Variables on Emotional Intelligence
Through the one-way ANOVA, at the 0.05 level of significance Table 4-15 indicates that only job tenure is not significant differences with emotional intelligence (p > 0.05). By Independent-Sample T test, we can know that males feel themselves more emotional intelligence than females, married employees feel themselves more emotional intelligence than single employees, and managers feel themselves more emotional intelligence than non-managers. By LSD Post Hoc Tests, we can know that employees who are over 41 years old feel themselves more emotional intelligence than who are 21 to 30 years old; employees
who have postgraduate degree feel themselves more emotional intelligence than who have certificate of graduation and university degree.
Table 4-15 The Influence of Demographic Variables on Emotional Intelligence Demographic variables with 1 equal to “male”, “Under 20 years old”, “high school graduate”, “married”,
“Under 1 year”, and “manager”, respectively.
4.4.3 The Influence of Demographic Variables on Job Performance
At the 0.05 level of significance, Table 4-16 indicates that significant differences are found between all demographic variables and job performance (p < 0.01). By Independent-Sample T test, we can know that males feel more job performance than females;
married employees feel more job performance than single employees; manager feel more job performance than non-manager.
By LSD Post Hoc Tests, we can know that employees who are over 21 years old feel more job performance than who are under 20 years old, employees who are over 31 years old feel more job performance than who are 21 to 30 years old; employees who have postgraduate degree feel more job performance than who have high school, certificate of graduation, and university degree; employees who are over 2-year tenure feel more job performance than who are under 1-year tenure, employees who are 18 to 21-year tenure feel more job performance than who are 2 to 5-year tenure.
Table 4-16 The Influence of Demographic Variables on Job Performance Demographic variables with 1 equal to “male”, “Under 20 years old”, “high school graduate”, “married”,
“Under 1 year”, and “manager”, respectively.
4.5 Correlation Analysis
Table 4-17 describes Pearson correlation coefficients of job performance, job stress, emotional intelligence, and demographic variables, such as age and job tenure. This table shows several variables are related, but it indicates no problems of multicolinearity since the value of correlation are less than 0.6.
4.5.1 Job Stress
There are no significant correlations are found between job stress and job performance (γ = 0.05, p > 0.05). Additionally, Pearson correlation coefficients also revealed employees’
age (γ = -0.18, p < 0.001), job tenure (γ = -0.22, p < 0.001) are negative correlation to job stress.
4.5.2 Emotional Intelligence
The value of correlation indicates that emotional intelligence is a significant and positive relationship with job performance (γ = 0.5, p < 0.001). Furthermore, regarding emotional intelligence, it shows that age (γ = 0.13, p < 0.01) is positive correlation to emotional intelligence. Nevertheless, job tenure is not correlation with emotional intelligence.
4.5.3 Job Performance
As Regards the relationship between job performance and demographic variables is concerned. There are a positive relationship is found between the employees’ age (γ = 0.19, p
< 0.001) and job tenure (γ = 0.16, p < 0.001) and job performance.
Table 4-17 Correlationsa
variable Job
performance
Job stress Emotional intelligence
Age
Job performance 1.00
Job stress 0.05
Emotional intelligence 0.50*** 0.02
Age 0.19*** - 0.18*** 0.13**
Job tenure 0.16*** - 0.22*** 0.03 0.71***
Note: aTwo-tailed tests; *p＜0.05, **p＜0.01, ***p＜0.001
n = 446 employees. Job tenure in the organization is reported in years.
4.6 Hierarchical Regression Analysis
This research uses hierarchical regression analysis to test the relationship of job stress, emotional intelligence, and job performance by using SPSS statistical software. Through hierarchical regression analysis let us understand the independent variables and interaction prediction of multiple variables to dependent variable.
4.6.1 Job Stress and Job Performance
Using hierarchical regression analysis evaluates the linear relationship between a job stress and job performance under controlling demographic variables. Model 1 displays the results of the coefficient of control variables to job performance. It shows that sex (β = 0.128, p < 0.01), Educational level (β = 0.15, p < 0.01), and job level (β = 0.099, p < 0.05) are significantly positive to job performance. Model 2 adds job stress to estimate job performance. Table 4-18 lists the result of correlation of hierarchical regression analysis between job stress and job performance that job stress is statistically unrelated to job performance (β = 0.076, p > 0.05). The significantly small adjust R2 (adjust R2 = 0.005) should be also considered the possibility of a lack of fit. H1 is not supported. Job stress does not predict the change in performance on linear regression.
In order to find the relationship between job stress and job performance, non-linear regression is used. But non-linear regression model is U-shaped showing that low and high level of job stress led to higher job performance (β2 = 0.2848, F = 17.27, p < 0.001). The result is not consistent with phenomenon, so we do not consider it.
Table 4-18 Results of Regression Analysis between Job Stress and Job Performance Job performance
Model 1 Model 2
Step 1:
Sex 0.128** 0.121*
Age 0.089 0.091
Educational level 0.150** 0.138**
Family status 0.081 0.081
Job tenure 0.080 0.090
job level 0.099* 0.112*
Step 2:
Job stress (JS) 0.076
R2 0.103 0.108
△R2 0.103 0.005
F 8.385*** 7.576***
Notes : *p<0.05, **p<0.01, ***p<0.001
However, according to Parker and Decotiis (1983) who separated job stress into time stress and anxiety, Table 4-19 shows that the relationship between time stress and job performance is significantly positive (β = 0.27, p < 0.001). In addition, anxiety is significantly negative to job performance (β = - 0.205, p < 0.01). The significantly adjust R2 (adjust R2 = 0.031) should be also consider fitness of the model.
Table 4-19 Results of Regression Analysis between Sub-factors of Job Stress and Job Performance
Job performance
Model 1 Model 2
Step 1:
Sex 0.128** 0.115*
Age 0.089 0.102
Educational level 0.150** 0.125**
Family status 0.081 0.074
Job tenure 0.080 0.066
job level 0.099* 0.096*
Step 2:
Time Stress 0.270***
Anxiety - 0.205**
R2 0.103 0.134
△R2 0.103 0.031
F 8.385*** 8.436***
Notes : *p<0.05, **p<0.01, ***p<0.001
4.6.2 Emotional Intelligence and Job Performance
Table 4-20 tests hypothesis 2. Model 1 displays results of the coefficient of control variables to job performance. Model 2 adds emotional intelligence to estimate job performance. Result consists with H2: emotional intelligence is related positively and significantly to job performance (β = 0.48, p < 0.001). This result suggests that an increase one unit of employee emotional intelligence reflected 0.48 units of job performance under other variable fixed. A significantly large adjust R2 (adjust R2 = 0.212) indicates a good fit of the simple linear regression model. The model could explain 31.5% of the variation of self-rating job performance. (R2 = 0.315)
Table 4-20 Results of Regression Analysis between Emotional Intelligence and Job Performance
Job performance
Model 1 Model 2
Step 1:
Sex 0.128** 0.083*
Age 0.089 0.017
Educational level 0.150** 0.169***
Family status 0.081 0.055
Job tenure 0.080 0.152**
job level 0.099* 0.003
Step 2:
Emotional Intelligence (EI) 0.480***
R2 0.103 0.315
△R2 0.103 0.212
F 8.385*** 28.781***
Notes : *p<0.05, **p<0.01, ***p<0.001
4.6.3 Emotional Intelligence as the Moderator
Table 4-21 reports hierarchical regression coefficients with emotional intelligence as the moderator. Model 1 displays results of the coefficient of control variables to job performance.
Model 2 adds job stress and emotional intelligence to estimate job performance. It also indicates the ability of emotional intelligence to explain job performance. The coefficient of emotional intelligence is significantly positive to job performance (β = 0.477, p < 0.001).
To test the moderating effects of emotional intelligence on the relationship between job stress and job performance while controlling gender, age, educational level, family status, job tenure and job level. H3, which states that the higher individual emotional intelligence, the weaker negative relationship between job stress and job performance is supported. As shown in model 3, adding the interaction term of job stress and emotional intelligence result in a
statistically significant increase in R2 = 1.9 % and F-ratio =24.469 at the 0.05 level of significance. The interaction of job stress and emotional intelligence is related positively and significantly to job performance (β = 1.126, p < 0.001).
Table 4-21 Results of the Moderating Role of Emotional Intelligence (EI) Job performance
Model 1 Model 2 Model 3
Step 1:
Sex 0.128** 0.079 0.077
Age 0.089 0.018 0.016
Educational level 0.150** 0.161*** 0.155***
Family status 0.081 0.055 0.048
Job tenure 0.080 0.158** 0.141*
job level 0.099* 0.011 0.023
Step 2:
Job stress (JS) 0.046 - 0.929***
Emotional intelligence (EI) 0.477*** - 0.051
Step 3:
JS * EI 1.126***
R2 0.103 0.317 0.336
△R2 0.103 0.214 0.019
F 8.385*** 25.349*** 24.469***
Notes : *p<0.05, **p<0.01, ***p<0.001
Following Cohen and Cohen (1983) plot the regression of job performance on job stress at high and low emotional intelligence, the cut values for two levels are plus and minus one standard deviation from the mean. We illustrate the result presented in model 3 with Figure 4-1 that the plot of the interaction of job stress and emotional intelligence in job performance.
On the high emotional intelligence, the mean of job performance on high job stress is 4.289 and the mean of job performance on low job stress is 4.125. On the low emotional intelligence, the mean of job performance on high job stress is 2.976 and the mean of job performance on low job stress is 3.444. At a level of emotional intelligence one standard
deviation above the sample mean, the line is positive. At the one standard deviation below the sample mean for emotional intelligence, the stress-performance slope is negative. Thus EI is a better moderator of the relationship between job stress and job performance.
4.289 4.125
2.976 3.444
2 2.5 3 3.5 4 4.5
Job Stress
Job Performance
Low High
- -
High EI─
Low EIFigure 4-1. The Moderating Effect of Emotional Intelligence (EI)
4.7 Discussion
This study examines the impact of emotional intelligence on job stress and job performance by investigating financial insurance employees in Taiwan. The result of hypotheses tests are summarized in Table 4-22.
The hypothesis 1 results indicate that job stress is unrelated to job performance. Further we separate job stress into two dimensions-time pressure and anxiety. This study shows that under high level of time stress could increase job performance of employees, but under high level of anxiety would decrease job performance of employees.
The hypothesis 2 shows that emotional intelligence is positive to job performance, In other words, higher emotional intelligence employees than lower emotional intelligence employees may have higher job performance. The finding also indicates that emotional intelligence is an importance predictor of job performance. According to our study emotional intelligence is necessary to facilitate performance in financial industry.
The hypothesis 3 indicates that emotional intelligence is moderator the relationship between job stress and performance. In Figure 4-1, according to the research finding, when employees are high EI, there is a strong positive relationship between stress and job performance. Moreover, when employees are low EI, there is a negative relationship between stress and job performance. It reflects that job stress has much effect on job performance when employee has higher emotional intelligence than lower emotional intelligence. Besides, employees who felt high job stress when possessing high level emotional intelligence reported better job performance than those who possessed low job stress.
Table 4-22 Summary of Hypotheses Test
Hypothesis Decision
H1 There is a negative relationship between job stress and job performance. Not Support H2 There is a positive relationship between emotional intelligence and job
performance.
Support
H3 Emotional intelligence will moderate the relationship between stress and job performance, such that the relationship is weaker for high emotional intelligence employees than low emotional intelligence employees.
Support
Chapter Five
Conclusions and Suggestions
5.1 Preamble
In this chapter, we will integrate the results of the statistical data analysis, and further, put effort to point out the contribution and managerial implications of the outcomes of hypotheses. Finally, some limitation and suggestions for future studies will be addressed.
5.2 Research Findings
In variable characteristics, financial insurance employees have lower job stress that is less than the median of five-point Likert scale (MJS = 2.94), and it shows that generally comparatively lower perceived job stress. According to the study of Nikolaou and Tsaousis (2002) study, people seem to be able to lead decreased levels of job stress by dealing with their emotions effectively and using positively their own and other emotions. Besides, the mean of emotional intelligence is high (MEI = 3.74). In the financial industry, the higher emotional intelligence employees are good behavior whether in standard tasks or selling various products to customers.
We use self-appraisal instrument of job performance by Singh et al. (1996) in this study.
The mean of job performance is 3.42. It may inflate slightly self-evaluation. But Chinese with the traditional work-related values of hardworking view work as main life and are willing to contribute themselves to their companies. Therefore, they are willing to work well, and thus it is more possibly to report higher self-appraisal performance in their work (Siu, 2003).
In this research we test three hypotheses. The results mostly consist with the inference.
Job stress does not affect job performance. Emotional intelligence is related positively to job
performance, and furthermore emotional intelligence is the moderating effects between job stress and job performance. The major findings in this study are as follows.
5.2.1 Job stress on Job Performance
This study shows that job stress is unrelated to job performance. Further we separates job stress into two dimensions-time pressure and anxiety according to Parker and Decotiis (1983). Time stress was named because of the questions associated with feelings of being under substantial time pressure. Anxiety was named because its items connect with job-related feelings of anxiety. This study indicates that time stress is positive significantly to job performance, but anxiety is negative significantly to job performance. In other words, the financial insurance employees under high level of time stress rated themselves as productive, but under high level of anxiety rated themselves as no productive. The outcome corroborates previous study (LePine et al., 2005) that through meta-analysis found stressor associated with hindrance-oriented are negative to job performance, and second dimension stressors associated with challenge-oriented (e.g., time pressure) are positive to job performance.
5.2.2 Emotional Intelligence on Job Performance
We found that emotional intelligence of employees are positively associated with job performance. The result confirms those of previous study with Western samples (Higgs, 2004). Employees who are high emotional intelligence have more responsibility at job. It may high emotional intelligence employees are ability to keep their emotions in positive states, leading to good job performance. This reinforces the importance level of emotional intelligence of employees that could increase the organizational competition.
5.2.3 Moderating Effect of Emotional Intelligence on the Relationship between Job Stress and Job Performance
We add emotional intelligence to explore whether it would influence the relationship
between employees’ job stress and job performance or not. An interesting result is the moderating effect of emotional intelligence in the relationship between job stress and job performance. It is found that under job stress employee higher emotional intelligence than lower emotional intelligence scored significantly higher in job performance. Employees who are high on emotional intelligence recognize having importance responsibilities at work, and at same time realize that they may aware and manage their stress and their emotions.
Besides, there is a positive slope on stress-performance for high emotional intelligence employees. Employees who possessing high level emotional intelligence under high job stress are reported better job performance than those who possessed low job stress. In the words, when employees with high emotional intelligence experience high job stress, they manage to maintain high job performance. On the contrary, for low emotional intelligence employees there is negative relationship between job stress and job performance. These findings imply that compared to high emotional intelligence employees, low emotionally intelligence employees are less able to deal with work affected by stress matters. Emotional intelligence employee is likely able to control job stress or at least moderate it to an acceptable degree. Emotional intelligence employees may protect them from negative effects of stressors and take more attention on handy tasks.
5.3 Research Contributions and Managerial Implications
Employee job performance is essential for organizational success. Besides, job stress is a very important issue in the human resource and emotional intelligence is one of important personality in the last two decades. We explore those effects of three variables in this study and according to the research findings, following suggestions are provided for theory and management.
5.3.1 Research Contributions
The relationship between job stress and job performance is uncertain from the literatures (Muse, Harris, & Field, 2003). This study shows that job stress and job performance are neither linear nor inverted-U relationship. We find further that the two components of job stress have opposite effects on job performance. Time stress that is the first component of job stress is related positive to job performance. In contrast, the second component of job stress is anxiety that shows a significant negative relationship with job performance. The results of our study provide different view on exploring the relation between job stress and job performance.
We follow the observations by Jex (1998) that the effects of job stress on job performance are likely to ignore other important factors and may be moderated by other factors. The main contribution of this study is that we show emotional intelligence positively moderated the stress-performance relationship. In the words, when emotional intelligence employee perceived high job stress, they are better job performance. This study provides further explanation and support for the suggestion of Jex (1988). Besides, in future study of organizational behavior the understanding effects of employees’ emotional intelligence may need to be incorporated, especially in the rapidly changing days. The most critical theoretical implication of our research is the search of stress-performance relationship and it could be as the based for future related studies.
5.3.2 Managerial Implications
The further research of the current study encourages the sources of stress in the organization are important. The results suggest that organization should raise the level of time stress, but lower the level of anxiety for higher job performance. Source of job stress is supported that they could affect job performance, and then a means of stress reduction for job performance or stress increase for job performance should be considered.
Human resource is an important asset in the company and could bring a sustaining competitive advantage. This study shows emotional intelligence would lead to positive performance. Through recruiting employees who have high emotional intelligence may have positive impact on the extent and retain succeeds of an organization. Besides, the literatures point out that emotional intelligence is not fixed and could improve by fit training course (Salovey & Mayer, 1990; 1997). Not only hire employees of high emotional intelligence but should also improve the effectiveness of low emotional intelligence employees through coaching. Therefore, in order to facilitate the promotion of the banking performance, local or foreign financial organizations in Taiwan should endeavor design to enhance emotional intelligence of employees. In addition, our study suggests that employees if they are high emotional intelligence are more productive when they feel job stress. Therefore, we suggest
Human resource is an important asset in the company and could bring a sustaining competitive advantage. This study shows emotional intelligence would lead to positive performance. Through recruiting employees who have high emotional intelligence may have positive impact on the extent and retain succeeds of an organization. Besides, the literatures point out that emotional intelligence is not fixed and could improve by fit training course (Salovey & Mayer, 1990; 1997). Not only hire employees of high emotional intelligence but should also improve the effectiveness of low emotional intelligence employees through coaching. Therefore, in order to facilitate the promotion of the banking performance, local or foreign financial organizations in Taiwan should endeavor design to enhance emotional intelligence of employees. In addition, our study suggests that employees if they are high emotional intelligence are more productive when they feel job stress. Therefore, we suggest