The EQ-i Profile of the Indonesians Compared to the Dutch: A Cross-Cultural Approach

Abstract

Indonesia, as a country which tends to be collectivistic, is characterized by a strong interrelationship and interdependency among the members of each social group. These characteristics make it more difficult for most Indonesians to be psychologically autonomous and to express their thoughts and emotions as extravert as the Dutch. This study attempts to portray the emotional intelligence (EI) competences of Indonesians as the fourth most populous country, compared to Dutch normative samples. By applying the EQ-i to 1274 Indonesians and 1455 Dutch participants, overall findings show, as predicted, that the level of EI of Indonesians is generally lower than that of the Dutch. The results reveal that there are significant differences for EQ total, five scales, and 15 sub-scales between the two groups. Based on the results, we see that the collectivistic tendency of the Indonesians as an Eastern society, to some extent, cannot optimally support the development of the EI competences, including interpersonal skill which is assumed to be higher in the Indonesian than in the Dutch. These results indicate that intervention programs in developing EI competences of Indonesian people can be helpful in developing society.