Modeling the effect of emotional intelligence on occupational accidents with mediating roles of job stress,job satisfaction and job burnout in an oil industry

Abstract

Background

Emotional Intelligence (EI) as the ability to identify, use, understand and regulate emotions to solve problems could be an important indicator in the work environment.

Objective

The aim of this study was to model the effect of EI on the accidents by using the mediating role of variables such as job stress, job burnout, and job satisfaction.

Methods

This study was conducted among 300 employes (case group; with accident experience and control group; without any accident experience) in one of Iran's oil industries. Data on EI, job stress, job burnout and job satisfaction were collected using questionnaires. Along with data analysis, Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) was employed to model the relationships between the research variables.

Results

EI demonstrated a significant negative direct effect on accidents, with a coefficient of −0.27, whereas job satisfaction had a significant positive effect on accidents, with a coefficient of 0.25. Notably, only job satisfaction acted as a mediator, and EI had a significant negative total effect on accidents through job satisfaction, with a coefficient of −0.18.

Conclusions

SEM showed significant direct negative effects of EI on accident occurrence, significant indirect effects of EI on accidents were also shown through the partial mediating role of job satisfaction.