Why and when do emotionally intelligent employees perform safely? The roles of thriving at work and career adaptability

Abstract

Based on the socially embedded model of thriving, the present study examined a moderated mediation framework, which involves the mediating role of employee thriving and the moderating role of career adaptability in the relationship between emotional intelligence (EI) and safety performance. A two-wave survey was administered among full-time commercial pilots working for airlines (N = 131). Our results showed that EI had a positive influence on employee thriving, which in turn positively affected safety performance. In addition, the results further revealed that the positive effect of EI on safety performance was stronger among pilots with a higher level of career adaptability. These findings have important implications for theoretical developments on EI, thriving, and performance in a safety context, and they also provide practical insights on how to enhance workplace safety.