Employee Relations

Exploring emotional intelligence, political skill, and job satisfaction

Galit Meisler
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Galit Meisler, Eran Vigoda-Gadot, (2014),"Perceived organizational politics, emotional intelligence and work
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ER
36,3
280
Received 13 February 2013
Revised 23 August 2013
21 October 2013
Accepted 28 October 2013
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Employee Relations
Vol. 36 No. 3, 2014
pp. 280-293
r Emerald Group Publishing Limited
0142-5455
DOI 10.1108/ER-02-2013-0021
The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available at
www.emeraldinsight.com/0142-5455.htm
Exploring emotional intelligence,
political skill, and job satisfaction
Galit Meisler
Division of Public Administration & Policy School of Political Sciences,
University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
Abstract
Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore the associations between emotional intelligence (EI)
and both political skill and job satisfaction, as well as the possibility that political skill mediates the
relationship between EI and job satisfaction.
Design/methodology/approach – The data, collected from a sample of 368 employees, were
analyzed using structural equation modeling.
Findings – EI was positively related to political skill and job satisfaction. In addition, the findings
show that political skill mediates the relationship between EI and job satisfaction.
Research limitations/implications – The research highlights the importance of EI and political
skill in the workplace.
Practical implications – EI training may be employed by organizations and human resource
managers to enhance employees’ EI.
Originality/value – Not enough research attention has been paid to exploring the interplay between
EI and organizational politics. The current study clarifies the relationship between EI and political
skill in the work arena. Moreover, this study found political skill to be a mediator in the relationship
between EI and job satisfaction. Given that in the main the literature has neglected the possibility that
political skill might act as a mediator and/or affect work attitudes/behaviors, findings from the current
study broaden the scope through which the role of political skill in the workplace can be viewed.
Keywords Job satisfaction, Emotional intelligence, Political skill
Paper type Research paper
Introduction
Over the past two decades, the concept of emotional intelligence (EI) has drawn
intensive research attention. Scholars from different research fields have tested how
EI is related to a variety of variables, including social support, academic achievement,
physical and mental health, and overall well-being, to name only a few (see: Mayer
et al., 2008). Research has also explored EI in the work arena. For example, a few
studies have tested the relationship between EI and leadership style and consequences
(George, 2000; Harms and Credé, 2010), while others have investigated the relationship
between EI and employees’ work outcomes (Carmeli, 2003; Law et al., 2004; O’Boyle
et al., 2010).
A review of the literature reveals that a few recent studies have simultaneously
explored EI and political skill, a key precursor of success in organizational politics
(Mintzberg, 1983; Pfeffer, 1981). But most of these studies attempted to distinguish
between EI and political skill or study them competitively (Ferris et al., 2005;
Greenstein, 2004; Momm et al., 2010; Semadar et al., 2006), rather than clarifying the
relationship between the two variables. Ferris et al. (2005) suggested and found a
positive relationship between EI and political skill. However, their study explored
the relationship between the two variables among undergraduate students. Thus, the
manner in which EI relates to political skill in the work arena is still to be clarified.
The current research addresses this gap and studies the relationship between EI and
 political skill among full-time employees. Furthermore, the current study suggests Exploring
political skill as a mediator in the relationship between EI and job satisfaction. emotional
This study contributes to the literature in two main ways. First, in contrast with
previous research (Ferris et al., 2005; Greenstein, 2004; Momm et al., 2010; Semadar intelligence
et al., 2006), the current study clarifies the manner in which EI relates to political skill
in the work arena. Second, given that most research on political skill explored the direct
effect of political skill (Bing et al., 2011; Blickle et al., 2009; Todd et al., 2009; Treadway 281
et al., 2004), or its moderating role (Blickle et al., 2008, 2010; Brouer et al., 2009;
Treadway et al., 2005, 2007; Zellars et al., 2008), this study broadens the scope through
which the contribution of political skill in the workplace can be viewed.

Theoretical framework
EI
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Although scholars have offered a number of definitions for EI (see: Goleman, 1995;
Bar-On, 1997), perhaps the most widely accepted was proposed by Salovey and Mayer
(1990), the two scholars who coined the term. These scholars define EI as “the ability to
perceive accurately, appraise, and express emotions; the ability to access and/or
generate feelings when they facilitate thought; the ability to understand emotions
and emotional knowledge; and the ability to regulate emotions to promote emotional
and intellectual growth” (Mayer and Salovey, 1997, p. 10). Mayer and Salovey’s ability
model argues that EI combines intellectual intelligence and emotion in a way that
enhances intellectual understanding of emotion and the manner it guides thought and
action (Mayer et al., 2008). Hence, the ability model focusses on emotion and the
cognitive abilities associated with it.
Other researchers, including Goleman (1998), Bar-On (1997), and Petrides and
Furnham (2006), have proposed and tested alternative models of EI. Given that these
models consider emotional abilities in the context of personality factors and traits that
do not focus primarily on emotion or emotional reasoning (such as motivation,
assertiveness, and independence), they are referred to as mixed models (Mayer et al.,
1999). These mixed models have led some critics to raise concerns about the validity of
EI as a construct. For example, Davies et al. (1998) argued that measures of EI present
unacceptable overlaps with measures of personality traits. Similarly, Conte (2005) and
Landy (2005) raised doubts about the validity of such measures. Locke (2005) also
critiqued the construct of EI arguing that EI cannot be considered a form of
intelligence, and that in any case the definition of EI is too broad to be meaningful.
Responses to such criticisms by proponents of the ability model have established the
validity of Mayer and Salovey’s ability model of EI (see: Ashkanasy and Daus, 2005;
Mayer et al., 1999, 2004; Daus and Ashkanasy, 2005).
The potential contribution of EI to the personal lives of individuals has raised a great
deal of research attention (see: Mayer et al., 2008). The role of EI in the workplace has also
been explored. For example, research has shown that high EI is related to desirable
outcomes on various work and career measures, such as transformational leadership,
success in job interviews, and job performance (Day and Carroll, 2004; Joseph and
Newman, 2010; Mayer et al., 2008; O’Boyle et al., 2010; Sy et al., 2006; Wong and Law,
2002). Research has also found EI to be related to higher levels of job satisfaction and
perceived organizational justice, as well as to lower turnover intentions and burnout
(Carmeli, 2003; Gerits et al., 2004; Law et al., 2004, 2008; Meisler, 2013; Sy et al., 2006;
Wong and Law, 2002). Nonetheless, we still do not know enough about the manner in
which EI relates to success in organizational politics. This is surprising given that an
 ER assumption regarding the contribution of EI to explaining success in OP was presented
36,3 in the seminal work of Goleman (1995) almost two decades ago.

Political skill
It is well accepted in the literature that organizations are political arenas (Mintzberg,
1983). According to Pfeffer (1981), success in organizations requires political skill.
282 Similarly, Mintzberg (1983) argued that political skill is essential for an effective use of
influence behavior in organizations through persuasion, negotiation, and manipulation.
Ferris et al. (2005), OP scholars, define political skill as “the ability to effectively
understand others at work and to use such knowledge to influence others to act in ways
that enhance one’s personal and/or organizational objectives” (p. 127). According to these
scholars, political skill includes four dimensions: social astuteness, interpersonal
influence, networking ability, and apparent sincerity (Ferris et al., 2005, 2007).
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Previous research has argued that high political skill is related to career success, job
effectiveness and work performance (Ferris et al., 2002; Pfeffer, 1981). Empirical
evidence has supported this line of thinking, with political skill being found to
positively relate to income levels, hierarchical position, reputation and performance
(Blickle et al., 2011; Ferris et al., 2008; Jawahar et al., 2008; Liu et al., 2007; Todd et al.,
2009). Political skill was also found to be positively related to job performance and
team performance in organizational leaders (Ahearn et al., 2004; Douglas and
Ammeter, 2004; Semadar et al., 2006).

Integrating EI and political skill

The role of EI in OP has, in the main, been overlooked. This is surprising given
the assumption that high levels of EI are associated with success in organizational
politics (Goleman, 1995). The potential contribution of EI to explaining perceived
organizational politics has recently been acknowledged (Meisler and Vigoda-Gadot, in
press; Vigoda-Gadot and Meisler, 2010). Nonetheless, the manner in which EI relates
to political skill in the workplace has not been extensively explored.
As noted above, a few recent studies explored EI and political skill simultaneously.
However, most of these studies attempted to distinguish between the two variables or
study them competitively. For example, Semadar and colleagues (2006) compared the
contribution of several social effectiveness constructs (i.e. self-monitoring, leadership
self-efficacy, EI, and political skill) to predicting managerial job performance, while
Greenstein (2004) argued that EI is a better predictor of presidential success compared
with political skill, public communications, organizational capacity, vision, and
cognitive style. A different perspective was presented by Momm et al. (2010), who
studied the contribution of political skill to explaining improvements in emotional
recognition accuracy after training on emotion recognition. It should be noted that
Ferris et al. (2005), who also argued that political skill is a distinct construct from EI,
found a positive relationship between the two variables. Yet, given that Ferris et al.’s
(2005) study was conducted among undergraduate students using a mixed model scale
(see: Mayer et al., 2000), evidence is still needed to validate the EI-political skill
relationship in the workplace. The present study addresses this issue and explores the
relationship between EI and political skill among full-time employees using a scale that
captures EI as conceptualized by the ability model (see: Mayer and Salovey, 1997;
Salovey and Mayer, 1990). Moreover, as opposed to previous research, which explored
the direct (Bing et al., 2011; Blickle et al., 2009; Todd et al., 2009; Treadway et al., 2004)
or moderating (Blickle et al., 2008, 2010; Brouer et al., 2009; Treadway et al., 2005, 2007;
 Zellars et al., 2008) effects of political skill, the current study suggests political skill as a Exploring
mediator, and explores its mediating role in the EI-job satisfaction relationship. emotional
The definition of political skill suggests that understanding others is essential
for effectively influencing others at work and for accomplishing personal and intelligence
organizational goals (Ferris et al., 2005). According to Ferris et al. (2007), politically
skilled individuals are able to successfully influence others due to their strong sense
of what influence tactics to employ in any given situation, and how best to employ 283
them – an understanding that derives from a sound grasp of others’ perspectives,
behaviors, and motives. Given that perspectives and behaviors are often shaped or
driven by emotional motives, understanding others requires a fine understanding
of emotion. Thus, it is reasonable to suggest that compared to individuals low in EI,
emotionally intelligent individuals better understand and anticipate the emotional
consequences of any potential influence attempt they consider employing. Such
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understanding helps high-EI individuals to effectively choose and execute influence

tactics, and so to accomplish personal and organizational goals. Based on these
arguments, we may hypothesize that:

H1. EI will be positively related to political skill.

The past few decades have witnessed the emergence of a dispositional approach in
research on job satisfaction. According to Staw and his colleagues (Staw et al., 1986;
Staw and Ross, 1985), stable individual characteristics predispose employees to
respond positively or negatively to job contexts. Moreover, positive and negative
dispositions were suggested as factors that influence the information individuals
choose to input, recall, and interpret in the workplace (Staw and Ross, 1985). Other
scholars have followed this line to show genetic factors (Arvey et al., 1989), positive
and negative affectivity (Brief et al., 1995; Connolly and Viswesvaran, 2000;
Cropanzano et al., 1993; Thoresen et al., 2003), and emotional states (Brief et al., 1995;
Mignonac and Herrbach, 2004) as predictors of job satisfaction.
The current research suggests that EI also affects job satisfaction. According to
Mayer and Salovey (1997), emotionally intelligent individuals can maintain positive
emotional states and restrain negative emotional ones. We believe that the ability to
maintain a positive emotional state and reduce the extent to which negative emotions
are experienced is relevant in the workplace as well. As opposed to individuals low in
EI, emotionally intelligent individuals can decide which inputs to focus on in different
situations in the workplace, as well as the interpretation given to them. Thus,
compared to low-EI employees, employees high in EI will experience positive emotions
and moods more strongly and over longer periods of time than negative emotions.
Moreover, compared to employees low in EI, emotionally intelligent employees will
be less likely to recall and ruminate about disturbing events that occurred in the
workplace (Meisler, 2013; Meisler and Vigoda-Gadot, in press), further reducing the
amount of time in which negative emotional states are experienced. Given that
emotional states influence job satisfaction (Brief et al., 1995; Mignonac and Herrbach,
2004), it is reasonable to assume that employees with high levels of EI will derive
greater satisfaction from their jobs compared to employees with lower levels of EI.
Empirical evidence confirms this assumption (Law et al., 2004; Wong and Law, 2002).
Hence, the second hypothesis argues that:

H2. EI will be positively related to job satisfaction.

 ER Suggesting only a direct relationship between EI and job satisfaction might be an
36,3 oversimplification of reality. It is more reasonable to assume that such a relationship
is mediated by intervening variables. Political skill might be such a mediator.
Individuals high in EI are assumed to be endowed with greater political skill due to
their superior ability to perceive and understand others’ emotions (see H1). Given
that political skill is positively related to job satisfaction (Ferris et al., 2008; Todd
284 et al., 2009), one could argue that EI affects political skill, which in turn affects job
satisfaction. Put differently, political skill mediates the relationship between EI and
job satisfaction.
Theoretically, it could be argued that EI mediates the relationship between political
skill and job satisfaction. Yet such an argument would imply that political skill is
an antecedent of EI. Given that Mayer et al. (1999) consider EI as a form of intelligence,
it is much more reasonable to assume that the emotional abilities associated with EI
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affect one’s political understanding and skill, and not the opposite. Thus, the current
study suggests that EI affects political skill, which in turn affects job satisfaction.
Accordingly, the hypothesis suggests that:

H3. Political skill will mediate the relationship between EI and job satisfaction.

Method
Sample and procedure
Four hundred and thirty-two questionnaires were distributed among employees of a
financial organization located in Israel. Of these, 368 usable questionnaires were
returned (a return rate of 85.2 percent). The employees who took part in the survey
came from a variety of departments (e.g. financial, marketing, service, etc.), jobs
(e.g. clerks, accountants, technical assistants, etc.), and different ranks in the
organizational hierarchy (employees and low-, mid-, and upper-level managers). A
breakdown of the sample reveals that 41 percent of the respondents were males, and
the average age was 29 (SD ¼ 7.5). On average, respondents had 14 years of education
(SD ¼ 2), and their average tenure in the organization was 28 months (SD ¼ 2.3).

Measures
EI
The Wong and Law Emotional Intelligence Scale (WLEIS; Law et al., 2004; Wong and
Law, 2002) was used to measure EI. This 16-item self-report scale is consistent with
Mayer and Salovey’s definition of EI (Mayer and Salovey, 1997), and is based on the
ability model presented by these scholars (Ashkanasy and Daus, 2005; Cartwright and
Pappas, 2008; Daus and Ashkanasy, 2005; Devonish and Greenidge, 2010; Sy et al.,
2006; Whitman et al., 2011). Recent studies have tested and retested this scale in
different cultures and different ethnic and gender groups (Law et al., 2004, 2008; Shi
and Wang, 2007; Whitman et al., 2011), and established it as a solid measure with
sound validity and reliability. For example, research has supported its factor structure,
internal consistency, convergent validity, and discriminate validity (Law et al., 2004;
Wong and Law, 2002). The WLEIS was designed specifically for the use in
organizations (Law et al., 2004; Wong and Law, 2002), and was found to be a better
predictor of job performance compared to the MSCEIT, the task-based test of EI
(Law et al., 2008). Moreover, it was found to be positively related with job satisfaction
after controlling for personality factors (Sy et al., 2006).
 In accordance with Mayer and Salovey’s (1997) four branches ability model, the Exploring
scale includes four dimensions: self-emotion appraisal; others’ emotion appraisal; emotional
regulation of emotion; and use of emotion. Sample items: first, “I have a good sense of
why I have certain feelings most of the time”; second, “I am able to control my temper intelligence
so that I can handle difficulties rationally.” Items were answered on a Likert scale
ranging from 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree). Following previous research
(Kafetsios and Zampetakis, 2008; Sy et al., 2006) the four EI dimensions were combined 285
into a single EI measure by computing an average score for the 16 items. Estimated
reliability in the current study was 0.88.

Political skill
Following Vigoda-Gadot and Meisler (2010), a shortened eight-item version of the
Political Skill Inventory (PSI; Ferris et al., 2005) was used to measure political skill. The
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PSI captures the four dimensions of political skill as identified by Ferris et al. (2005,
2007): social astuteness, interpersonal influence, networking ability, and apparent
sincerity. Sample items: first, “I spend a lot of time and effort at work networking with
others”; second, “It is easy for me to develop good rapport with most people.” For each
of the four dimensions, the shortened version included the two items from the original
scale that demonstrated the highest loading in previous factor analyses. Items were
answered on a Likert scale ranging from 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree).
Following previous research that demonstrated a single higher-order solution of the
political skill construct (Ferris et al., 2008), we computed an average score for all
political skill items. The estimated reliability of the scale was 0.74.

Job satisfaction
Following previous research (Vigoda, 2001; Vigoda-Gadot and Meisler, 2010), we used
Schriesheim and Tsui’s (1980) six-item scale to measure job satisfaction. Respondents
were asked to indicate how satisfied they were with different aspects of their job.
Sample items: first, “How satisfied are you with your current job?”; second, “How
satisfied are you with your current salary?” Responses ranged from 1 (very unsatisfied)
to 5 (very satisfied), and the estimated reliability was 0.8.

Results
Table I presents descriptive statistics, an inter-correlations matrix, and reliabilities of
the research variables. As the table shows, all three variables are positively correlated.
EI was positively correlated with both political skill (r ¼ 0.46; po0.001) and job
satisfaction (r ¼ 0.24; po0.001). A positive correlation between political skill and job
satisfaction was also found (r ¼ 0.28; po0.001). These findings provide support for H1
and H2. It should be noted that no multicolineraity was observed among the research
variables (no inter-correlation exceeded 0.50).

Variable Mean SD 1 2 3

1. Emotional intelligence 3.98 0.48 (0.88) Table I.

2. Political skill 3.89 0.51 0.46*** (0.74) Descriptive statistics,
3. Job satisfaction 3.65 0.67 0.24*** 0.28*** (0.80) intercorrelations,
and reliabilities
Notes: n ¼ 368. *pp0.05; **pp0.01; ***pp0.001 (in parentheses)
 ER Prior to examining the mediation structural model, we followed the recommendations
36,3 of Little et al. (2002) and created item parcels. Parceling constructs comprising
more than five items tends to improve the reliability of the indicators and to make the
models more parsimonious. For the construct EI, we created four parcels which
represent the four dimensions (self-emotion appraisal, others’ emotion appraisal, use of
emotions, and regulation of emotions). Similarly, four parcels were created for the
286 political skill construct to represent its dimensions (networking ability, apparent
sincerity, social astuteness, and interpersonal influence). For the job satisfaction
construct, three parcels were created such that the item with the highest loading was
combined with the item with the lowest loading, the next highest was combined with
the next lowest, and the two remaining items were then combined to form the third
parcel (Little et al., 2002).
We applied confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) using AMOS 20 to assess the
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properties of the three-factor measurement model including EI, political skill, and job
satisfaction. Overall, the measurement model had acceptable fit indices (w2 ¼ 186.50,
df ¼ 41, po0.001, NFI ¼ 0.92, CFI ¼ 0.93, RMSEA ¼ 0.07). The loadings ranged
between 0.40 and 0.78, with all loadings significant at po0.001.
To rule out the effect of common method variance (Podsakoff et al., 2003) we
compared the CFA with the three-factor model with an alternative model in which all
indicators were loaded on a single factor (Williams and Anderson, 1994). The fit indices
for the single-factor model were not acceptable (w2 ¼ 879.41, df ¼ 44, po0.001,
NFI ¼ 0.61, CFI ¼ 0.62, RMSEA ¼ 0.15), thus supporting the three-factor model.
Moreover, we also examined whether the EI factor is distinguished from the political
skill factor. Results of a CFA with two correlated factors (EI and political skill) showed
better fit indices (w2 ¼ 88.38, df ¼ 19, po0.001, NFI ¼ 0.93, CFI ¼ 0.95, RMSEA ¼ 0.07)
compared to a CFA with one common factor (w2 ¼ 128.41, df ¼ 20, po0.001, NFI ¼ 0.90,
CFI ¼ 0.91, RMSEA ¼ 0.08). A significant w2 difference was found between the two
models (Dw2 ¼ 40.03, Ddf ¼ 1, po0.001), thus supporting the distinction between EI
and political skill.
Following James and Brett’s (1984) and Holmbeck’s (1997) recommendations for
testing mediation in structural equation modeling (SEM), we tested for significant path
coefficients in the full mediation model and a non-significant w2 difference from the
partial mediation model. Indeed, as presented in Figure 1, fit indices of the full
mediation model were acceptable (w2 ¼ 187.65, df ¼ 42, po0.001, NFI ¼ 0.92,
CFI ¼ 0.93, RMSEA ¼ 0.06), and path coefficients were significant and in the
expected directions (i.e. b ¼ 0.83, po0.001 from EI to political skill and b ¼ 0.33,
po0.001 from political skill to job satisfaction). We further examined the significance

Social Networking Apparent Interpersonal

astuteness ability sincerity influence

Self-emotion
0.53 0.40 0.40 0.68 0.70
appraisal
0.78 Parcel 1
Other’s emotion 0.64
appraisal Emotional 0.83 Political 0.33 Job 0.76
0.66 Parcel 2
intelligence skills satisfaction
Use of 0.75
emotions 0.58
Parcel 3
Regulation of
Figure 1. emotions
Structural model results
Note: All paths are significant at p<0.001
 of the mediation relationships (Cheung, 2007). EI had a significant indirect relationship Exploring
with job satisfaction via political skill (b ¼ 0.28, po0.001). emotional
Next, we added a direct path from EI to job satisfaction and assessed the fit of the
partial mediation model to the data. Although the fit was acceptable (w2 ¼ 186.50, intelligence
df ¼ 41, po0.001, NFI ¼ 0.92, CFI ¼ 0.93, RMSEA ¼ 0.06), the direct path coefficient
was not significant (b ¼ 0.21, ns). Moreover, the partial mediation model yielded a
non-significant w2 difference from the full mediation model (Dw2 ¼ 1.15, Ddf ¼ 1, ns). 287
Thus, the addition of the direct path did not improve the model fit, and partial
mediation was not supported. This lent additional support to the full mediation
model.

Discussion
Almost two decades ago Goleman (1995) suggested that EI is essential for success in
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organizational politics. Nevertheless, the contribution of EI to explaining political skill,

the latest research stream in OP (see: Ferris et al., 2005, 2007), has not yet been
extensively explored. Furthermore, the possibility that political skill might act as a
mediator in the relationship between other organizational variables has remained
largely unstudied (for exception see: Ferris et al., 2008; Liu et al., 2007). The present
research addressed these issues and suggested a positive relationship between EI and
both political skill (H1) and job satisfaction (H2). Furthermore, political skill was
suggested as a mediator in the relationship between EI and job satisfaction (H3).
Empirical evidence supported both H1 and H2, with evidence that the greater the
participant’s EI, the greater his or her political skill and job satisfaction. The findings
also showed that political skill mediates the relationship between EI and job
satisfaction (H3).
It should be noted that following Goleman’s (1998) model, one could argue that
political understanding is a component of EI. However, although Goleman’s model
includes political understanding, other EI models do not share this perspective (see:
Bar-On, 1997; Mayer and Salovey, 1997; Petrides and Furnham, 2006). Given that the
current study used the ability model of EI (Mayer and Salovey, 1997), EI was regarded
in the context of emotion and emotional abilities alone.

Contributions and implications for theory

The present study contributes to the literature on political skill in several ways. First,
findings from the current study showed EI to be positively related to political skill in
the workplace. Such findings clarify the relationship between EI and political skill in
the work arena, and shed light on the contribution of EI to explaining organizational
politics. Second, given that in the main, the literature has neglected the possibility that
political skill might act as a mediator, findings from the current study broaden the
scope through which the role of political skill in the workplace can be viewed, taking it
beyond direct or moderating effects. Third, the association between political skill and
work attitudes has not been extensively explored. Findings from this study support the
assumption that political skill is not related to career success and work performance
alone. Rather, political skill is related to employees’ work attitudes as well. Last, most
research on political skill has been conducted in North America and Western Europe.
Findings from the current study, which was conducted in Israel, extend this line of
work to a setting not usually considered in this respect.
The present study offers insights for the study of EI as well. First, the present study
found that the EI-work attitudes relationship includes mediators. Given that previous
 ER research has studied direct relationships between EI and work outcomes (see: Carmeli,
36,3 2003; Gerits et al., 2004; Law et al., 2004), such findings broaden our understanding of
the manner in which EI is related to work attitudes. Second, this study advances our
understanding concerning the potential contribution of EI to the general population
of employees, as opposed to previous research, which focussed primarily on its
contribution to leaders and leadership behaviors (George, 2000; Harms and Credé,
288 2010). Last, the study extends our knowledge about EI in a diverse and heterogeneous
setting rarely studied in this context, namely Israel. This research thus joins the small
number of studies that have explored EI in different countries and cultural arenas.

Practical and social implications

The current study has practical and social implications worthy of note. First, empirical
evidence has already demonstrated that EI training can improve EI levels (Dulewicz
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and Higgs, 2004; Groves et al., 2008; McEnrue et al., 2009). Keeping in mind our
findings concerning the positive relationship between EI and both political skill and
job satisfaction, it can be argued that EI training might also advance employees’
political skill and job satisfaction. Second, given that high levels of EI are associated
with wider and stronger social networks (see: Mayer et al., 2008), the potential social
implications of EI training include helping individual employees advance their careers,
as well as helping them raise the quality of interactions and relationships within
the work arena. Last, it is reasonable to assume that EI training conducted by
organizations might cross organizational borders and affect employees’ personal lives
as well, bringing about improvements in areas such as physical and mental health,
overall well-being and social support (see: Mayer et al., 2008) – with positive
ramifications for all of society.

Strengths and limitations

The present study has a number of strengths worthy of elaboration. First, this study
integrates knowledge from the EI and political skill literatures in an attempt to clarify
the relationship between these two variables in the work arena. Second, in contrast to
studies that have searched for direct or moderating effects of political skill (Bing et al.,
2011; Blickle et al., 2008, 2009, 2010; Brouer et al., 2009; Todd et al., 2009; Treadway
et al., 2004, 2005, 2007; Zellars et al., 2008), this study explored political skill as a
mediator. Thus, findings from the current study broaden the scope through which the
role of political skill in the workplace can be viewed. Third, the research model was
tested on a large number of participants, 368 employees. Last, the profile of the
participating employees was highly heterogeneous.
Several limitations of the study should be noted. First, employees’ EI levels were
evaluated via a self-report scale, the WLEIS (Law et al., 2004; Wong and Law, 2002).
The use of a single self-report tool raises concerns regarding social desirability bias
and common method variance. However, the WLEIS, which is based on the ability
model and on Mayer and Salovey’s (1997) definition of EI has proven to be a reliable
and valid scale (Law et al., 2004, 2008), and has been utilized as an established measure
in different cultures and different ethnic and gender groups (Law et al., 2004; Shi and
Wang, 2007; Whitman et al., 2011). Moreover, in order to rule out the effect of common
method variance, we followed Podsakoff et al. (2003) suggestion and compared a three-
factor model to an alternative model in which all indicators were loaded on a single
factor. The three-factor model was found to be superior. Using CFA, we also confirmed
that EI and political skill are two distinct constructs.
 Second, relying on the ability model of EI (Mayer and Salovey, 1997; Salovey and Exploring
Mayer, 1990), the research model suggested that EI affects political skill. Yet given that emotional
the study did not use an experimental design, a causal relationship cannot be proven.
Last, the current study was conducted in only one financial organization located in intelligence
Israel, limiting the generalizability of the findings.

Directions for future research 289

The present study and its findings raise a number of ideas for future research.
First, not enough research attention has been given to exploring how political skill is
related to employees’ work attitudes and behaviors. To shed more light on this
relationship, future research should explore the association between political skill
and work attitudes/behaviors such as turnover intentions, organizational justice,
counterproductive work behavior and organizational commitment. Such research will
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advance our understanding of how political skill contributes to outcomes within

the work arena. Second, future studies might further investigate how the interplay
between EI and political skill influences the effectiveness of employees and
organizations. For example, the current study explored the mediating role of political
skill in the relationship between EI and job satisfaction. Future research can broaden
our model and explore political skill as a mediator in the relationships between EI and
turnover intentions, job performance, and organizational citizenship behavior. Future
research might also explore political skill as a mediator in the relationship between
other determinants of career success and their consequences.

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About the author

Dr Galit Meisler received her PhD from the University of Haifa in 2010. She is a lecturer and a
researcher at the Peres Academic Center. Her research interest includes: organizational behavior,
emotional intelligence, organizational politics and work attitudes. Dr Galit Meisler can be
contacted at: galit.meisler@pac.ac.il

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