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Emotional intellect of managers: gender and age differences

Erokhina E.V.

Abstract

This article treats the notion of emotional intellect, the results of empirical research about gender and age differences of managers are quoted.

Key words: emotional intellect, professional activity.

Emotional intellect (EQ) is one of the most developing notions in theory and practice of contemporary management and business enterprise. The author of the notion is consedered to be Daniel Goleman - an American psychologist and journalist-popularizer. In his conception that was worked out in 1995, he regards EQ as a complex of practical competences of a person in a personal and social life [11].

Daniel Goleman reckons that the higher EQ, the better effectiveness of a manager or a businessman. In his opinion, if a manager possesses capabilities in the sphere of self-control, he will make 78% of profit more than an employee without such competence. And if a social competence will be supplemented with abilities in self-management, the profit will be increased till 390%. At the same time great analytical abilities of a manager increased a profit only on 50%.

hence, if cognitive and rational abilities of a manager help to increase a profit, but at the same time the competence in the sphere of emotional intellect helps him much more, EQ can be exactly that important component or condition that provides the maximum effectiveness of a person in the area of professional activity. however professional activity is deeply connected with sociocultural, economic factors or even age factor, stipulating peculiarities of achievement in self determination of people. That`s why the question about what specific features of emotional intellect managers possess depending of age and gender is becoming topical.

Selection of people made up 1368 people: 395 male, 973 female. The age of probationers is from 20-60 years, and fields of activity - social, trade, healthcare, education, management, finance and others. The testing was held in 2005-2006. The method of research is a test of emotional intellect diagnostics by N. hall.

In the process of data handling and analysis of the results the following peculiarities of emotional intellect of managers are revealed.

1. It was revealed, that in the whole 52.4% of tested people has low total level of emotional intellect. however, according to the own estimation of the tested group, the part of such unsuccessful managers could be decreased in the future till the level of 15.8% or 3.3 times. On the following basis it can be supposed that the work on improvement of personal emotional intellect is marginally realized by the tested person as a important factor of personal as well as professional growth.

The analysis of figures of emotional intellect has shown, that the most vulnerable component in the structure of emotional intellect of the tested managers is “control over own emotions” , that is the level of selfcontrol, reliability , loyalty, trustworthiness, responsibility for his/her behaviour, adaptivity and flexibility in the situations of changes, resposiveness to new ideas and approaches. Thus 75.5% of tested managers got “low” grades of this index at the moment of the research. however, in the future 40.1% of respondents showed a tendency to change figures of this index till “high” level. This fact vividly demonstrates one of the major ways how to increase the total level of the emotional intellect of managers, i.e. raising the level of control over own emotions.

2. Materials of the research let us reveal the differences in EQ among the respondents according to age and gender. Thus, the analysis of data clearly certifies that there were no essential age distinctions for respondents with “low” level of emotional intellect. The average score of the respondents was 52%. Undoubtedly, the younger generation had slightly higher grades than the older one. But as for the respondents with the total high scores of emotional intellect a distinct tendency of increase has been noticed in that part depending on the age. While considering age differences the most precise tendencies were recognized on the scale of “self motivation”. The share of examined ones with “high” scores of that scale is getting higher the older they are. however, the tendecy for improvement EQ in this scale is more expressed by younger respondents. On “empathy” scale the similar patterns are revealed: a share of questioned with high score of this EQ index is getting higher with the age of the respondents.

One more very important feature of EQ is determined - among the respondents, which EQ level was “medium” and “high”, obvious dominance of this scores has women in comparison to men. It`s exactly among women-managers a tendency to work in the direction self improvement is prevailed.

It turned out to be, that the most considerable gender differences are observed on the scale of “emotional awareness” - an idea of a person about his/her emotional condition, accuracy of self esteem, a level of self acceptance. The share of men with “low scores” (31,4 %) is significantly higher, than women (22,5 %). It`s worth saying, that part of women who “in the future” wants to have “high” scores in this scale is significantly higher (59,7 %) than men (48,6 %).

The data analysis shows that a share of women with “low” grades of emotional intellect on the scale of “control of own emotions” (78,3 %) is considerably higher, than men`s (68,7 %). At the same time it is the highest among all other scales of the given test. This fact proves a commonly known image that women are more emotional in comparison with emotionally restrained men.

But on the “empathy” scale (understanding of other people`s feelings and needs, assistance in their development, service orientation, tolerance to other people`s differences) men lack noticeably behind women. It is appropriate to pay attention here to the fact that the share of women (51,5 %) which would like to have “high” grades on the scale in question is also much more than the one men have. This peculiarity reflects another trivial opinion about men who are considered to be less sentimental in general, as well as people, who don`t want to become more sensitive and compassionate to other people and their needs, in particular. manager gender emotional intellect

Thus, in general managers don`t always have a high level of emotion intellect. There was elicited a significant dependence of total level of emotional intellect on respondents` age and gender. The most sensitive EQ scales to gender and age differences are “emotional awareness”, “control over own emotions” and “empathy”. These EQ peculiarities of managers should be taken into consideration while working out programs for professional development. As we see that certain efforts should be done by a person as well as by professional educational environment, thus a person can achieve a certain degree of emotional intellect that will provide his professional acme.

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