EMPLOYEE EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE, OCCUPATIONAL STRESS AND EMPLOYEE JOB PERFORMANCE
ABSTRACT
The study examined employee emotional intelligence, occupational stress and employee job performance among faculty members in the University of Benin (UNIBEN), Benin City, Edo state. It sought to measure the relationship between occupational stress and job performance, the effect of psychological stress and emotional intelligence on the job performance, the level of Emotional Intelligence and work life balance among faculty members and the impacts of personal demographics of the respondents (such as age, sex, educational background, income, work experience, etc) on Emotional Intelligence and employee job performance.
    The study adopted the survey method in the collection of research data and questionnaire as the research instrument. The study population consisted of all academics staff in the University and simple random sampling technique was used to select from Faculty of Management sciences, Social Sciences and Faculty of Arts in the university. The sample size (220) was determined from the total staff (490) using the Yaro Yamane formula.
    The findings showed that there exist a significant relationshipbetween occupational stress and job performance; there is significant relationship between emotional intelligence and psychological stress on job performance; there is a significant differences in the level of Emotional Intelligence and work life balance among faculty members and that relationship exist between personal demographic of respondents and emotional intelligence and organizational performance. The study recommended among other things that organization should take up the initiative of improving and enhancing the emotional intelligence of their employees. This can be done by designing and providing effective training to their employees. This can be done by designing and providing effective training to their employees amongst other mentioned.
TABLE OF CONTENT
CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background of the Study -    -    -    -
1.2 Statement of the Research Problem -    -    -
1.3 Research Questions -    -    -    -    -    -
1.4 Objectives of the Study -    -    -    -    -
1.5 Research Hypotheses -    -    -    
1.6 Significance of the Study -    -    -    -
1.7 Scope of the Study -    -    -    -    -    
1.8 Limitations of the Study -    -    -    -    -    
CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW
2.1 Introduction -    -    -    -    -    -    
2.2 Job Performance -     -    -    -    -    -    
2.2.1 Employee Performance Measurement --     -    -
2.3 Emotional Intelligence -     -    -    -    -    -    -
2.3.1 The Importance of Emotional Intelligence     -        
Measurement and Model of Emotional Intelligence -    -
Emotional Intelligence and the Impacts on Work Life Balance-
Demographic characteristics and emotional intelligence-    -
Occupational Stress -     -    -    -    -    -    
2.4.1 Theories of Occupational Stress    -    -    -    
2.4.2 Emotional Intelligence and Employee Performance    -    -
2.4.3 Relationship between Occupational Stress, Emotional         
Intelligence and Job performance-     -    -    -    -
2.5 Theoretical Framework (Theories of Work Life Balance)-    
2.5.1 Model of the Study-    -     -    -    -    -    
CHAPTER THREE: METHODOLOGY
3.1 Introduction -    -    -    -    -    -    -    
3.2 Research Deign -    -    -    -    -    -    -
3.3 Population and Sampling Techniques -    -    -    -    
3.4 Operationalization of Variables -    -    -    -    -    
3.5 Research Instrument -    -    -    -    -    -    -    
3.7 Sources of Data -    -    -    -    -    -
3.8 Methods of Data Analysis -    -    -    -    
CHAPTER FOUR:  DATA PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS OF DATA
4.1 Introduction -    -    -    -    -    -    -    -
4.2 Demographic Information of Respondents -    -    -    -    
4.3 Mean Index of Emotional Intelligence, Work Life Balance,     
occupational Stress and Employee Job Performance-
4.4 Relationship between Occupational Stress and Job performance-
4.5 Psychological Stress and Emotional Intelligence on the Job     
Performance-    -    -    -    -    -    
Level of Emotional Intelligence and work life balance among             faculty members     -    -    -    -    -    
4.7 Impacts of Personal Demographics of Respondents on Emotional
Intelligence and Employee Job Performance -    -    -
4.7 Impact of Personal Demographics of Respondents on Emotional     
Intelligence -    -    -    -    -    -    -
4.7.1 Impacts of Personal Demographics of Respondents on     Employee Job Performance -    -    -    -    -    -
Summary of Research Hypotheses -    -    -    
Discussion of Findings -        -    -    -    
CHAPTER FIVE: SUMMARY OF FINDINGS, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION
5.1 Introduction -    -    -    -    -    
5.2 Summary of Findings -    -    -    -    -    -
5.3 Conclusion -    -    -    -    -    -
5.4 Policy Recommendations -    -    -    -    
5.4.1 Further Studies -    -    -    -    -    -    -
BIBLIOGRAPHY     -    -    -    -    -    
APPENDICES: Appendix I     -    -    -    -    -
LIST OF TABLES
Table 2.1: Dimensions of Job Performance         
Table 3.1: Total Population of the Selected Faculty         
Table 3.2: Operationalization of variables            
Table 4.1: Demographic Information of Respondents        
Table 4.2: Mean Index of Emotional Intelligence, Work Life Balance,        occupational Stress and Employee Job Performance         
Table 4.3: Relationship between Occupational Stress and Job         performance                            
Table 4.4: Psychological Stress and Emotional Intelligence on the             Job Performance                        
Table 4.5: Level of Emotional Intelligence and work life balance among         faculty members                        
Table 4.6: 1Impact of Personal Demographics of Respondents on             Emotional Intelligence                    
Table 4.7: Impacts of Personal Demographics of Respondents on Employee             Job Performance                            
Table 4.8: Summary of the Hypotheses Testing             
LIST OF FIGURES
Figure 2.1: A Model of the Relationship between Occupational Stress,
Emotional Stress and Job Performance                        
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
Background to the Study
    According to Smigla and Pastoria (2000), emotional intelligence is an important element for creating a productive working condition. It is good for others, and also helps to deal with people with a fully constructive way when a problem arises (YengKeat, 2009). Authors, like Salovey & Mayer (1990, 1997), Goleman (1998, 2003), and Manna, Bryan and Pastoria, (2009), opined that emotional intelligence is of two major dimensions: interpersonal competency (ability to manage ourselves) and intrapersonal competency (ability to interact with others). According to Goleman (1998), interpersonal competency comprises of the following: self-awareness, self-regulation, and motivation. Interpersonal competency includes the following two components: empathy and social skills. Self-awareness connotes the ability of individuals to recognize their strengths, emotions, worth and capabilities. Self-regulation is can be seen as the ability of individuals to resist emotional wish i.e. think before acting. Many authors generally conclude that emotional intelligence is a group of non-cognitive capabilities, competencies, and skills (Bar-On, 1997), as well as a form of social intelligence (Salovey & Mayer, 1997) where emotional intelligence will act as a catalyst to increase the ability of individuals to identify emotions, use emotions to guide thinking and actions, understand and manage emotions, and to promote emotional and intellectual growth. If emotional intelligence is well managed this may motivate employees to properly handle external demands and pressures (Bar-On, 1997; Salovey & Meyer, 1990; 1997).
    Abualrub, (2004) said, occupational stress in an organization can be referring to as job stress and/or work stress. According to him, job stress and work stress are mostly used interchangeably in an organization, but it means the same thing, (Larson, 2004). Occupational stress has two major dimensions or constructs: physiological stress and psychological stress. Physiological stress is regarded as a physiological reaction of the body which are headache, migraine, abdominal pain, lethargic, backache, chest pain, fatigue, heart palpitation, sleep disturbance and muscle ache to various stressful triggers at the workplace that directly and negatively affects an individual’s productivity, effectiveness, quality of work and personal health (Newell, 2002, World Health Organization, 2005). On the other hand, psychological stress is  seen as an emotional reaction (anxiety and depression burnout, job alienation, hostility, depression, tension, anger, nervousness, irritability and frustration) experienced by an individual as a result from the stimulate at the workplace (Millward, 2005, World Health Organization, 2005).
    According to Bar- On, (1997) as cited in (Yao & Yunus, 2009), in the workplace stress framework, many scholars believe that occupational stress, emotional intelligence and job performance are different dimension/constructs, but strongly interrelated. For instance, the ability of employees to manage their emotions and other employees’ emotions properly will increase the ability of employees to cope with physiological and psychological stresses in implementing job which may lead to higher job performance in organizations (Spector & Goh, 2001).
1.2 Statement of the Research Problem
    From existing literature it can be seen that many studies have been conducted on the relationship between Occupational Stress, Emotional Intelligence and Job Performance in developed nations (Yao & Yunus, 2009; Ismail, Yao, Yeo, Lai-Kuan & Soon-Yew, 2010) and very few of such studies were carried out in emerging market context such as Nigeria. Based on this background, it is necessary to conduct the study on the relationship of emotional intelligence on employee performance in higher education institutions. Hence, a further investigation about the nature of this relationship is imperative which this study in intended to fill the gap in literature.
1.3 Research Questions
Flowing from the statement of the research problem, this study seeks to proffer answers to the following questions:
What is the relationship between occupational stress and job performance?
Does psychological stress and emotional intelligence have effect on the job performance?
What is the level of Emotional intelligence and work life balance among faculty members?
Does personal demographics of the respondents (such as age, sex, educational background, income, work experience, etc) have impact on Emotional Intelligence and employee job performance?
1.4 Objectives of the Study
The study is guided by the following objectives; To:
measure the relationship between occupational stress and job performance;
measure the effect of psychological stress and emotional intelligence on the job performance;
find out the level of Emotional intelligence and work life balance among faculty members; and
examine the impacts of personal demographics of the respondents (such as age, sex, educational background, income, work experience, etc) on Emotional Intelligence and employee job performance.
1.5 Research Hypotheses
The following research hypotheses were developed for the study:
Hypothesis 1: There is no significant relationship between occupational stress and job performance;
Hypothesis 2: Psychological stress and emotional intelligence does not impact job performance;
Hypothesis 3: There is low emotional intelligence and poor work life balance among faculty members; and
Hypothesis 4: Demographic characteristics do not impact on emotional intelligence and job performance.
1.6 Significance of the Study
This study will benefit the following;
Management and employee: This study will be relevant and beneficial to management and employees. Management can use it as a guideline to overcome occupational stress problems in the organizations while it will help employees to properly manage emotions and can increase their capabilities to cope with psychological and physiological stress.  
Educational Sector: It will be beneficial to educational sector (both public and private institutions) in Nigeria since it will encourage them to take strategic approach in managing psychological and physiological stress in the sector.
Academician, potential and future researchers: Both academics, potential and future researchers will find it useful on related subjects to carry out their study.
1.7 Scope of the Study
    This research study will focus on an empirical study on Employee Emotional Intelligence, occupational stress and Employee job Performance among faculty members in the University of Benin (UNIBEN), where the sample and the population will be taken from the staff of faculty of Arts, Management Sciences and Social Sciences.
 1.8 Limitations of the Study
    Possible problems that were encountered in the course of this research include;
Low response rate: this occurred when respondents felt reluctant to fully disclose or answers every questions in questionnaire.
    Inability to obtain a random sample: we were compelled or forced to use non-probability sampling techniques such as convenient sampling technique which selects any person who is available and willing to participate in a study.
Smallness of the sampling size and inability to cover more localities besides Benin-city limit the conclusions of the study.
    Despite these factors, efforts were made to obtain the much needed information to carry out this research work.