The relationships between training, emotional intelligence and structural career advancement. (c2016)

Abstract

Purpose – The unquenchable thirst for career advancement puts researchers to work to uncover the “recipe” for progressing in the corporate jungle. Primarily, the study aims to determine the influence of training and of emotional intelligence (EI) on the employee’s advancement up the career ladder. Second, the study aims to clarify the relationships between EI and different demographic variables within a Lebanese organizational context. Design – Literature review and quantitative research methodology consisting of an esurvey completed by 131 employees via snowball sampling. The survey gathered information about the employees’ demographics, their perceptions of available training opportunities, their emotional intelligence levels, and their structural career plateauing levels. The primary data obtained were analyzed via SPSS through descriptive (frequencies and means) and inferential statistics (independent sample t-tests, correlation analyses, and regression analysis). Six hypotheses were examined. Findings – Training was negatively correlated to structural career plateauing. EI was not correlated to structural career plateauing. Men and women had comparable EI levels. Age, work experience and work position were not correlated to EI. Married employees had significantly higher EI levels than single employees. Originality – The study provides invaluable insights regarding EI in Lebanon, a research field that still has a lot to uncover. It is a worthy addition to the literature on structural career plateauing and on EI in an organizational context.