Emotional intelligence, job satisfaction, work engagement and turnover intentions of employees in selected South African organisations

Abstract

The retention of skilled employees is crucial for the success of South African organisations. An understanding of the influence and relationships of employees’ emotional intelligence, job satisfaction and work engagement on employee turnover intention is necessary. The aim of the study was to explore the relationships between emotional intelligence, job satisfaction, work engagement and turnover intentions of employees in selected organisations. The authors’ applied a cross-sectional survey design. Convenient samples of employees were drawn from five volunteering organisations in the Durban area of South Africa (N = 274) so as to ensure a sample size in excess of 200 for the purposes of applying structured equation modelling. The organisations included two private higher education institutions, a management consulting/outsourcing company, an information technology company and a packaging company. They administered the Schutte Emotional Intelligence Scale, the Job Satisfaction Scale, The Work Engagement Scale and the Turnover Intention Scale. The effect of emotional intelligence upon the job satisfaction and work engagement of employees in explaining their turnover intention could not be established. Emotional intelligence was found to have a significant effect on the work engagement of employees but not job satisfaction. Job satisfaction had a significant effect on the turnover intention of employees.