The roles of emotional intelligence and adversity quotient in life satisfaction

The Effect of Service Learning on the Development of Trait Emotional Intelligence and Adversity Quotient in Youths: An Experimental Study

This study aims to determine the effect of service learning (SL) on the trait emotional intelligence and adversity quotient of Chinese undergraduate students in Hong Kong. The SL programme lasted six months (at least 80 service hours). In a pre-test-post-test experimental design, students who participated in the SL during that time period were classified as the experimental group (n = 139; 69 male, 70 female), whereas students who never participated in SL were classified as the comparison group (n = 133; 66 male, 67 female). Both groups of participants were asked to finish the Wong and Law Emotional Intelligence Scale (WLEIS) and the Adversity Response Profile^® (ARP) before and after the SL programme. The results showed that there were no significant differences in WLEIS and ARP scores (at the pre-test) between the experimental and comparison groups. The results further revealed that students in the experimental group had better improvements in WLEIS and ARP than those in the comparison group after they completed SL. These findings provide valuable insights and implications for incorporating components of SL into interventions for youths to improve their ability to process emotions and overcome adversity.

The role of emotional quotients and adversity quotients in career success

Career success has been considered equally important for both personal and organizational development. The purpose of the current study was to examine how trait emotional quotient (EQ) and adversity quotient (AQ) contribute to individuals' objective career success (job position) and subjective career success (organizational commitment). Participants included 256 Chinese adults who completed four measurements-the Self-Reported Emotional Intelligence Test, Resilience Scale, Grit Scale, and the Affective, Continuance, and Normative Commitment Scale-and provided demographic information. After validating the four scales used in this study, multiple regression analysis revealed that only one aspect of trait EQ (regulation of emotion) positively predicted one component of organizational commitment (affective commitment). Adversity quotient was measured on two dimensions: resilience and grit. Only consistency of interest (grit) positively predicted affective commitment. Perseverance of effort (grit) and acceptance of self and life (resilience) positively predicted normative commitment. Personal competence (resilience) positively predicted continuance commitment but negatively predicted normative commitment. Only acceptance of self and life (resilience) positively predicted job position. Overall, these findings demonstrate the specific influence of trait EQ and AQ on career success for organizational professionals who want to improve organizational productivity as well as individuals who want to achieve success at work.

Self-leadership as an attribute of service leadership: Its relationship to well-being among university students in Hong Kong

Introduction

In the scientific literature, although conceptual models and empirical evidence have shown that leadership attributes are intimately linked to the well-being of followers, there is a lack of studies focusing on leadership in the service economy. According to the Service Leadership Theory, service leadership is a process that satisfies the needs of self, others, and systems (teams, organizations, communities, and societies) in ethical ways that is characterized by leadership competence, character, and care. With specific reference to self-leadership emphasized in service leadership, higher levels of service leadership attributes should promote personal well-being. However, the relationships between "service leadership attributes" and "well-being" in leaders at the intrapersonal level in leadership education among Chinese university students are rarely examined.

Methods

In this study, we collected data from 198 students to understand the linkages between "service leadership attributes" and "well-being" in university students taking a course on service leadership. For tracking changes in students, we collected both pretest and posttest data on validated measures of "service leadership attributes" (i.e., "knowledge," "attitude," and "behavior") and "well-being" (i.e., "positive youth development attributes" and "life satisfaction").

Results

Results showed that the posttest scores on all three domains of "service leadership attributes" as well as two dimensions of "well-being" encompassing life satisfaction and positive youth development attributes were higher than the respective pretest scores, suggesting that students experienced a shift in a positive direction after taking the course. Cross-lagged analyses showed that pretest service leadership attitude and behavior predicted posttest positive youth development attributes; pretest service leadership behavior predicted posttest life satisfaction. Pretest life satisfaction also predicted posttest service leadership behavior.

Discussion

Findings suggest that there is an intimate relationship between "service leadership attributes" and "well-being" in the "pre-work" context among university students.

Mediation effects of positive and negative affect on the relationship between emotional intelligence and life satisfaction in rural school teachers

Few studies have investigated the ways in which the specific facets of trait emotional intelligence (EI), positive affect (PA), and negative affect (NA) influence individuals' general life satisfaction, especially in teachers. This study explored the effects of three facets of trait EI [appraisal and expression of emotions (AEE), utilization of emotion (UE), and regulation of emotions (RE)] and two typical affects (PA and NA) on teachers' general life satisfaction. The participants were 577 Chinese rural school teachers (ages 18-49 years) who completed three questionnaires-the Schutte Self-Report Emotional Intelligence Test, Positive and Negative Affective scale, and Satisfaction with Life Scale. After validating the scales, a structural equation modeling analysis showed that trait EI, PA, and NA had a significant and positive effect on teachers' general life satisfaction. PA played a partial mediating role between trait EI and life satisfaction. Furthermore, this study found that PA significantly and positively mediated the relationship between AEE, UE, RE, and life satisfaction. These results suggest that teachers with higher EI are more likely to have positive emotions, thereby enhancing their general life satisfaction, and that understanding the role of one's own and others' emotions and increasing positive emotions may be the key to improving teachers' general life satisfaction. Future implications and the study limitations are discussed.

Optimism and friendship quality as mediators between trait emotional intelligence and life satisfaction in Chinese adolescents: A two-wave longitudinal study

Using a convenience sample of adolescents (N = 1609; 63.5% female; M age  = 16.54), this study explored whether EI predicted adolescent life satisfaction and whether friendship quality and optimism mediated this relationship during the COVID-19 pandemic. The structural equation modeling revealed that EI predicted adolescent life satisfaction, friendship quality, and optimism, friendship quality partially mediated the relationship between EI and life satisfaction, and optimism partially mediated the relationship between EI and friendship quality. These findings prove that psychological or educative approaches focused on EI could increase life satisfaction in adolescents during difficult times such as COVID-19, but EI may be linked with life satisfaction via friendship quality only. Training in optimism approaches and friendship quality enhancement programs could also effectively promote life satisfaction.

Adversity Quotient Promotes Teachers’ Professional Competence More Strongly Than Emotional Intelligence: Evidence from Indonesia

Teachers’ professional competence has become a popular issue since the COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore, this study investigates teachers’ professional competence, in terms of emotional intelligence (EI), adversity quotient (AQ), and organizational citizenship behavior (OCB), when teachers need to deal with abnormal situations, such as the COVID-19 pandemic. Moreover, this study also seeks to explore the relationship of EI and AQ with teachers’ professional competence mediated by OCB. The research data were collected through a questionnaire using a Likert scale from 589 participants: elementary school teachers in Indonesia were chosen through accidental sampling. The data analysis used structural equation modeling (SEM), complemented by common method bias, correlational, and descriptive analysis. The result shows that EI, AQ, and OCB have a significant relationship with teachers’ professional competence. However, AQ more strongly promotes teachers’ OCB and professional competence than EI does. In addition, OCB mediates the relationship between EI and AQ with teachers’ professional competence. Accordingly, a new model regarding the relationship of EI and AQ with teachers’ professional competence mediated by OCB was confirmed. Therefore, it is suggested that teachers’ professional competence can increase through EI, AQ, and OCB. Hence, the new empirical model deserves to be discussed, adapted, and even adopted by practitioners and researchers to develop the professional competence of teachers in the future.