Workplace situations: the assessment of emotionally un/intelligent reactions.

Introduction. Identifying and expressing one’s own and others’ emotions, and, if necessary, regulating them, are assumed to be skills that denote Emotional Intelligence (EI). Such skills are likely to be crucial in work settings in that they contribute to define both the functioning and wellbeing of employees. Aim. The present study, part of a broader ongoing research project on EI skills especially in career starters (e.g., Zammuner & Kafetsios, 2005; Zammuner 2007), focuses on the role EI plays in how people react, emotionally and behaviorally, in a variety of work situations. Age and gender differences in the exhibited skill levels were also tested. Method. 147 participants (45.6% male; M age = 35.65, sd 12,1) evaluated on interval scales the adequacy of a number of reactions to each of several work events described in a vignette. They additionally filled in other sections of TIEIT (Test of Emotional Intelligence- Italian) – e.g., on emotional labor and job involvement. Results. Results showed that reactions to work situations are accounted for by a number of emotion-related dimensions (e.g., empathic vs. ‘cold’ reactions) and vary as a function of age and gender. Significant correlations with other tested variables were also observed.