Emotional Intelligence (EI) as a Predictor of Individual Work Performance: A Higher-Order Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) Approach

The objective of the research was to examine the relationship between Emotional Intelligence (EI) and Individual Work Performance (IWP) among medical professionals serving at teaching hospitals of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), Pakistan. The design applied was a quantitative approach where data was gathered from 377 medical doctors who were involved in clinical and teaching services in three public teaching hospitals and three private teaching hospitals within district Peshawar, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The data was analyzed through Smart-PLS 4.1 by using Higher-Order Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). By so doing the EI and IWP have been modeled as multidimensional constructs with four sub-dimensions (Self-Awareness, Self-Management, Social Awareness, Relationship Management of EI; Task, Contextual, Adaptive, and Counterproductive performance of IWP). The results of the structural model analysis confirm a positive and statistically significant relationship between Emotional Intelligence and Individual Work Performance as the correlation between EI and IWP has a positive and significant path coefficient (β = 0.868). Therefore, the research study can be included into the field of knowledge associated with the subject of Healthcare Management by demonstrating that Emotional Intelligence is not the collection of supplementary features but the primary cause of professional resilience and better service delivery in health setting of the KP’s teaching hospitals. The results provide valid empirical basis on the idea that in the models of medical residency programs and professional development, the emotional intelligence training should be included by the hospital administrators to establish a stable performance in a resource-restricted medical environment.