How emotional intelligence relates to job satisfaction and burnout in public service jobs
| Date | 01 December 2018 |
| DOI | 10.1177/0020852316670489 |
| Published date | 01 December 2018 |
| Author | Hyun Jung Lee |
| Subject Matter | Articles |
International Review of
Administrative Sciences
2018, Vol. 84(4) 729–745
!The Author(s) 2017
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DOI: 10.1177/0020852316670489
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International
Review of
Administrative
Sciences
Article
How emotional intelligence relates
to job satisfaction and burnout in
public service jobs
Hyun Jung Lee
MyongJi University, Republic of Korea
Abstract
Public service workers require higher levels of emotional intelligence because most
public service jobs involve emotionally intense work focused on service to the public.
Moreover, such emotional work may lead to a high degree of burnout and job dissat-
isfaction, which directly relates to organizational outcomes. Focusing on public service
workers, the present study investigates the relationships between the dimensions of
emotional intelligence and job satisfaction, on the one hand, and the dimensions of
emotional intelligence and burnout, on the other. In the sample of 167 public service
workers in the US, using employed structural equation modeling, the findings reveal that
emotion regulation is significantly and negatively related to burnout and that emotional
self-awareness is significantly and positively related to job satisfaction.
Points for practitioners
This study contributes to understanding the relationship between the emotional
intelligence dimension and burnout, and the emotional intelligence dimension and job
satisfaction, in public service jobs. Emotional intelligence plays a significant role for
public service workers whose work involves emotionally intense job characteristics.
The findings show that training in emotional intelligence abilities may increase job
satisfaction and decrease burnout. Practitioners and professionals working in public
management and administration may consider measures of emotional intelligence, espe-
cially emotional self-awareness and emotion regulation, in the recruitment process to
select potentially effective job applicants.
Keywords
burnout, emotional intelligence, job satisfaction, public service workers
Corresponding author:
Hyun Jung Lee, MyongJi University, Department of Public Administration, 2912, Geobookgolro 34,
Seodaemoongu, Republic of Korea.
Email: tweety06@mju.ac.kr
Introduction
People who work in public service jobs require a higher level of emotional
management because they interact with citizens, and citizens often seek govern-
mental help during the worst moment of the worst day of their lives (Guy and
Lee, 2015). Such emotional work may lead to a higher degree of burnout and
job dissatisfaction. Importantly, burnout and job satisfaction directly relate to
organizational outcomes, including turnover intention, absenteeism, work per-
formance, and quality of service. Negative organizational outcomes may affect
the quality, consistency, and stability of client services and lead to serious prob-
lems in organizations (Kim and Stoner, 2008; Mor Barak et al., 2001).
Conversely, public service employees’ positive attitudes and emotions can
foster a pleasant work environment, increase job satisfaction, and create a favor-
able impression for citizens (Ashkanasy et al., 2002; Hosseinian et al., 2008; Lee
and Ok, 2012).
Numerous studies have shown that emotional intelligence plays an important
role in determining organizational performance (Halbesleben and Buckley, 2004;
Huang et al., 2010; Joshi et al., 2015; Moon and Hur, 2011; Sy and Coˆ te
´, 2004;
Wong and Law, 2002). Emotionally intelligent individuals are aware of their
own and others’ emotions and manage their emotions to elicit desirable behav-
ior from others in the workplace (Guy and Lee, 2015). For instance, Higgs
(2004) and Varca (2004) argue that employees with higher levels of emotional
intelligence are less likely to experience burnout and more likely to increase
work performance because they tend to have better interpersonal skills and
the ability to tolerate emotional pressure. Moreover, Mayer and Salovey
(1997) proposed that emotionally intelligent people promote higher self-esteem
and positive moods, which may decrease negative affective emotions and
increase job satisfaction.
As such, emotional intelligence is already a popular topic for researchers and in-
service training sessions (Guy and Lee, 2015). However, little is known about how
to apply emotional intelligence to enhance organizational performance in the
public administration arena. To date, few public administration studies have
empirically examined the relationship between the various dimensions of emo-
tional intelligence and burnout, on the one hand, and job satisfaction, on the
other. Determining which emotional intelligence construct relates to burnout
and which relates to job satisfaction will provide practitioners/specialists with
valuable knowledge about training public service employees. This study focuses
on public service employees and examines the relationship between the dimen-
sions of emotional intelligence and job satisfaction, on the one hand, and the
dimensions of emotional intelligence and burnout, on the other. First, a review
of the theoretical literature is conducted, and then a structural equation model is
used to test the assumption. Finally, the implications of this study for training and
research are discussed.
730 International Review of Administrative Sciences 84(4)
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