When Resources Substitute for Each Other: How Emotional Intelligence and Organizational Support Interact in Relation to Resilience and Well-Being Among Healthcare Professionals

Abstract

The interaction between two critical resources, emotional intelligence (EI) and perceived organizational support (POS), is studied to understand how they come together to associate resilience and well-being among healthcare professionals. Based on the Conservation of Resources (COR) theory and the Job Demands–Resources (JD-R) model, we explore whether these resources are synergistic or whether there is a substitutive relationship when combined. Data were collected from 304 healthcare professionals in Saudi Arabia, both local and foreign. Using structural equation modeling, we examined a moderated mediation model in which resilience was examined as a mediator of the associations of EI and POS with well-being, and their interaction was included as a correlate of both resilience and well-being. EI and POS both individually showed positive association with resilience and well-being. However, in interaction, they significantly negatively associated with both resilience and well-being, suggesting a substitution effect—i.e., high levels of one resource are linked to a lower marginal value of the other. This suggests a nonlinear dynamic to resource accumulation among pressured healthcare workers. This study advances COR and JD-R theories by uncovering a substitution effect between emotional intelligence and organizational support, offering fresh insights into resource dynamics among healthcare professionals.