Measuring emotional intelligence (EQ) : a construct comparison between the BAR-ON EQ-i and the OPQ 32i report

Abstract

Recently, there has been increasing interest in the role of emotions in organisational life. Consequently, there is also widespread interest in the topic of emotional intelligence and its predictive validity for work performance. In researching the construct of emotional intelligence, it is of prime importance to investigate the measurement of the construct. The Bar-On Emotional Quotient Inventory (Bar-On EQ-i) is the world's first scientifically developed and validated measure of emotional intelligence (EQ) that has been made available commercially, and at the time of this study is regarded as the benchmark in the measurement of emotional intelligence. The Occupational Personality Questionnaire (OPQ32i) is a competency-based personality questionnaire used in recruitment and development environments. Both these instruments generate EQ reports and seemingly represent different views on EQ. Apart from its focus on the uniqueness of both approaches to EQ and its measurement, this study also explores the degree of the construct correlation between the two instruments. This is an exploratory study, and data were obtained from a total population of 38 sales managers in the South African financial services industry. The results indicate significant construct overlap and correlations between, firstly, the Bar-On EQ-i and the OPQ32i, and secondly, between the Bar-On EQ-i and OPQ32i Emotional Intelligence reports.