Examining the predictive relationship between emotional intelligence and turnover intentions in virtual work environments

ABSTRACT

Emotional intelligence has been found to have a significant impact on team performance and overall employee satisfaction levels, which in turn has been found to have an adverse effect on turnover intentions. The purpose of this quantitative, correlational-predictive study was to determine if and to what extent emotional intelligence (EI) predicts turnover intention (TI) in the employees of virtual Financial Technology (FinTech) organizations in the United States. The emotional intelligence theory by Mayer et al. (1990) and the theory of planned behavior by Ajzen (1985) were utilized as the theoretical foundations of this study. The data were collected on LinkedIn through convenience and snowball sampling from employees working virtually at FinTech organizations. A sample of n =120 was collected using the Wong and Law Emotional Intelligence Scale (WLEIS) by Wong and Law and the Turnover Intention Scale (TIS-6) by Roodt. The findings from multiple linear regression analysis indicated that the overall regression model was statistically significant, F(4,115) = 2.99, p = .022, R2 = .094. Due to the statistical significance, the subsequent hypotheses were tested to answer the overarching research question. The results indicated that the EI subscale items OEA and UOE did not significantly predict TI;however, SEA and ROE did significantly predict TI. These study findings contribute to both the theoretical foundations by expanding the additional predictors of TI in virtual FinTech organizations within the United States. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)