The Impact of Emotional Intelligence on Job Performance: A Case of an International School in Nairobi, Kenya

Abstract

This study examined how emotional intelligence of teachers relates to their job performance and length of service in a selected international school within Nairobi city in Kenya. Correlational design and survey method were utilized. A purposive sampling technique was adopted where the 47 teachers in the school were given questionnaires in which they self-evaluated themselves on the two variables; emotional intelligence and job performance. The length of service of the teachers was extracted from records in the HR files. Microsoft Excel was used to generate constants for both descriptive statistics such as mean scores and standard deviations and inferential statistics which included; Pearson product moment correlation, Spearman rank, the Spearman's rho, and t values.  The research found positive correlations between emotional intelligence, job performance and the length of service, hence emotional intelligence and the length of service can be used to predict job performance. Emotional intelligence theory and its applications can be adopted by international schools to promote managerial and human resource practices.