Emotional Intelligence and Compassion in Strategic Human Resources Management

Abstract

In an increasingly globalized and competitive world, employees who are satisfied with their jobs and committed to their organizations are an increasingly important competitive advantage for their organizations. Organizational environments characterized by high levels of Emotional Intelligence (EI) and Self–Compassion (SC) promote greater employee satisfaction, commitment, and alignment with their organizations. Consequently, in today's world, it is of utmost importance that organizations benefit from Strategic Human Resources Management (SHRM), which promotes high levels of EI and SC, increasing job satisfaction and commitment. This study analyzes the impact of EI and SC on the satisfaction and well–being of employees of three Azorean organizations from different sectors. For this purpose, primary data were obtained at the micro level of the employees, as well as their level of EI and SC, through scales in line with the state of the art of Human Resource Management, Organizational Psychology and Contextual Therapy, namely the Situational Test for Emotional Understanding (STEU–B), the Situational Test for Emotional Management (STEM–B), the Self-Care Compassion Scale (SEFLCS), the Mindful Scale of Self-Care (MSCS), the Job Satisfaction Survey (JSS) and the Appreciation and Recognition at Work (VR). Significant differences in the scores of the scales and subscales are identified, including those related to gender. Through the estimation of ordered probit models, we find the empirical determinants of job satisfaction. Women have higher values of JSS, MSCS, SELFCS, STEU-B, STEM-B and VR compared to men. On average, the older the respondent, the lower the mean scores on the JSS, MSCS, SELFCS, STEU-B, STEM-B, and VR scales. Healthcare professionals have higher average scores on JSS, not only compared to their counterparts in industry and tourism, but also compared to their North American counterparts. There is a high correlation between SELFCS and JSS, suggesting that organizations that create compassionate work environments benefit from more satisfied and engaged employees. Similarly, there is a high correlation between MSCS and JSS, as well as between VR and JSS. There is a strong correlation between the STEU-B and STEM-B scales, but not between these scores and JSS. We also uncover a statistically significant positive correlation between compassion in the workplace as perceived by employees and their reported job satisfaction.