Beyond emotional intelligence ability: the power of supervisor–subordinate alignment in perceptions of supervisor emotionally intelligent behavior

Introduction: Emotional intelligence (EI) is widely recognized as critical to supervisory effectiveness. However, because EI is enacted and interpreted within relationships, it should be studied not only as individual ability but also as behavior and perception. This study examines how alignment or misalignment between supervisors' and subordinates' perceptions of supervisor emotionally intelligent behavior (EIB) relates to subordinate well-being, above and beyond supervisors' actual EI ability. Methods: Data were collected from 202 supervisors and 2,055 subordinates across five hospitals, a high-stakes, emotionally charged environment particularly valuable for studying EI-related dynamics. We measured supervisor ability EI using the MSCEIT and assessed perceptions of supervisor EIB from both supervisors and subordinates. Multilevel polynomial regression was used to analyze perceptual alignment effects on subordinate engagement and burnout. Results: Controlling for supervisor ability EI, perceptual alignment on supervisor EIB predicted significantly higher subordinate engagement and lower burnout. Conversely, misalignment, particularly supervisor overestimation of their EIB, related to poorer subordinate outcomes. Discussion: These findings highlight the relational and interpretive nature of EIB in management, demonstrating that how supervisors' emotional intelligence is perceived, and whether those perceptions align, matters for subordinate well-being.