The Need for Emotional Intelligence Skills among Knowledge Workers at the Tertiary Level

Abstract

The concept of emotional intelligence is gaining more importance in academic settings as it is believed that educators who can regulate their emotions positively will be more effective lecturers, generating a positive teaching and learning environment Thus, this study explores the level of agreement on the four components of emotional intelligence skills among lecturers in public and private universities in Perak, Malaysia The research methodology used a descriptivesurvey of the exploratory type involving 275 permanent lecturers from the selected universities chosen through simple random sampling. The survey instrument for this study is a set of questionnaire which is an adapted version of the items in the Emotional Skills Assessment Process (ESAP) combined with the elements of the knowledge workers and self-evaluation of teaching effectiveness (SETE).Findings revealed that the highest mean on the level of agreement for emotional intelligence from both types of institutions was for the emotional intelligence component of self-management skills while the lowest mean was recorded for the component of intrapersonal skills.