Chapter-5

CHAPTER –5

CONCLUSIONS & IMPLICATIONS

Researchers have concluded that in the service industry, there is a major role of emotional
competencies for business success. Emotional intelligence can be explained in the context of
being aware of our emotions and the emotions of others.

The present study is based on a sample of 500 employees working in the IT and Hospitality
industry. The study brings forth the importance of Emotional Intelligence in dealing with issues
of Organizational Stress and Employee Commitment. The study analyses the levels of Emotional
Intelligence, Organizational Stress and Employee Commitment in both industries. It draws
conclusions on the relationships between the same and also shows the significant impact of
Emotional Intelligence on Organizational Stress and employee commitment. The Demographic
influence on Emotional Intelligence on Organizational Stress and employee commitment is also
analysed. The Emotional Intelligence scale developed in the course of the study combines
American and Indian perspectives on Emotional Intelligence.

The analysis of the study can be concluded as below:

5.1 Emotional Intelligence Scale

Though a lot of studies on Emotional Intelligence have tak f om Gol man’s mo l of motional
intelligence, this study has developed a scale of Emotional Intelligence by integrating Indo
Western perspectives on Emotional Intelligence by adapting the work of Indian Researcher Dalip
Singh with Gol man’s Emotional Intelligence research. Dalip Singh has analyzed the
understanding of the concept of Emotional Intelligence in the Indian context as different from the
understanding in the American context. Thus the study adapts suitably from both researchers
with the help of an in depth analysis and examination.

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5.1.1 Implications for Organizations

i. The scale can be used by Management practitioners in the Service Industry, to assess the
levels of Emotional Intelligence among the employees.
ii. The scores in each of the four broad areas such as Self Awareness, Self Management,
Social Awareness and Relationship Management can be used to assess the needs for EI
competency development amongst the employees and can contribute in dealing with
Organizational Stress and Employee Commitment.

5.2 Concluding Hypothesis 1

5.2.1 A comparison of the Levels of Emotional Intelligence in Both Industries

The result of the present study shows a comparative of two different service industries, working
on a common objective of customer satisfaction. Gol man fin motional comp t nc as “a
learned capability based on emotional intelligence that results in outstanding performance at
wo k” [16] H affi m that th “p sonal” an “social comp t nci s of motional intelligence
a capabl of t mining on ’s pot ntial fo l a ning th p actical skills an job capabilities.

5.2.1.1 Conclusions

i. The analysis shows that the employees of the IT industry have higher levels of Emotional
Intelligence than the employees of the Hospitality Industry.
ii. In the Hospitality industry, though the employees are involved in direct customer
interactions most of the time, there is an increasing need to built emotional intelligence
competencies amongst the employees.
iii. A broad analysis of the four dimensions of emotional intelligence shows that the
employees of hospitality industry have the highest mean scores for Self Awareness,

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which includes Self Esteem and Threshold of Emotional Arousal. The employees of the
IT industry have the highest mean scores for Social Awareness; which includes Empathy.
iv. In both industries, it is seen that the employees have the minimum scores for Self
Management, which includes Flexibility & Adaptability and Handling Egoism.

5.2.1.3 Implications for Organizations

i. In contemporary times, it is important for software engineers to use emotional

competencies in problem solving in dealing with customers who have no technical
backgrounds. Software solutions in contemporary times are no longer offered in wrapped
boxes, a new range of operations and computing has lead to intense competition in
delivering solutions, products and services. Software engineers are now expected to
deliver expertise through effective communication and relationship building, over and
above the technical roles. Emotional Intelligence can be used for developing
competencies of effective service and excellence.
ii. The employees of the hospitality industry need to face the intense competition and
challenges posed by competitors. The differentiating factor in such circumstances is
likely to arise from the difference in guest experience that is provided by the employees.
Competencies of Emotional Intelligence would help the employees in exerting emotional
labour towards guest satisfaction.
iii. Amongst all the four broad areas of Emotional Intelligence, namely; Self Awareness, Self
Management, Social Awareness and Relationship Management; in both industries, it is
seen that the employees have the minimum scores for Self Management, which includes
Flexibility & Adaptability and Handling Egoism. Adaptability is the ability to be flexible
when faced with change. Handling Egoism is the ability to discourage overconfidence or
superiority complex. In the present business times, it is important to be adaptable to
changing customer expectations. This ability needs to be strengthened in the employees
such that they can improvise and adapt to environmental changes. Being in the service
sector, one is expected to be able to handle egoism so that it does not lead to undesirable

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behaviours with clients or co workers. It would be useful for both sectors to develop these
competencies in their employees.

5.2.2 A comparison of the Levels of Organizational Stress in Both Industries

A comparison of both the industries was done to assess the levels of Organizational Stress in
each. Organizational Stress was measured on the basis of ten Role Stress dimensions by using
Organization Role Stress Scale by Dr.Udai Pareek.

5.2.2.2 Conclusions

i. Results showed that the employees of the hospitality industry faced greater levels of
stress than the employees of the IT industry.
ii. In terms of Role stressors; the top five stressors in the Hospitality Industry are; Self Role
Distance (SRD), Role Overload (RO), Personal inadequacy (PI), Role Stagnation and
Inter Role Distance (IRD).In the IT industry the top five stressors that emerge are; Role
Erosion (RE), Role Stagnation (RS), Personal Inadequacy (PI), Self Role Distance (SRD)
and Role Isolation (RI).

5.2.2.3 Implications for Organizations

i. Behind the glamorous and visible show business of the Star hotels, lies the backbone of
human labor and heavy machinery. Different departments such as kitchens, service,
reception, security, maintenance & housekeeping are required to work in perfect
coordination to ensure a smooth front line service. The pace at which operations are
managed at back ends are very rapid as there are brand standards that emphasise short
time delivery. Apart from this, the employees are seen to work in unpredictable schedules
and exert physical and mental abilities at all times, which leads to stress. Given such
work circumstances, organizations need to manage stress among their employees to avoid
stress related costs and performance issues.

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ii. In the IT industry stress is seen to arise due to pressures of outsourcing, moving to more
sophisticated markets and information overload [171]. Yet it is seen that the industry is
able to manage stress levels in a better way than the Hospitality industry. However we
cannot ignore the fact that if moderate amounts of Stress are left unattended, there are
changes of increasing stress levels. Research shows that, high levels of stress can lead to
emotional exhaustion, lower organizational commitment, and increased turnover
intentions [172]

5.2.3 A comparison of the Levels of Employee Commitment in Both Industries

A comparison of both the industries was done to assess the levels of Employee Commitment
in each. Employee Commitment was measured using the Allen Meyer Scale, that measures three
dimensions of employee commitment; Affective, Normative and Continuance.

5.2.3.1 Conclusions

i. The employees of the IT industry had higher commitment levels than the employees of
the hospitality industry.
ii. It is seen that in both industries, employees have highest mean scores for Affective
Commitment, followed by Normative Commitment and the least for Continuance
commitment.
iii. Results indicate that the issue of low continuance commitment needs to be addressed for
both industries.

5.2.3.2 Implications for Organizations

i. The issue of low levels of Employee Commitment needs to be addressed in both

industries.
ii. Research shows that HR organizational policies in the organization can be helpful in
developing Organizational Commitment.

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5.3 Concluding Hypothesis 2

5.3.1 Relationship between Emotional Intelligence and Organizational Stress

5.3.1.1 Conclusions

Within the service industry; the nature of the relationship between Emotional Intelligence and
Organizational Stress was found to be negative; which indicates that higher emotional levels will
lead to lower levels of stress and vice versa. The result of these findings is similar to results of
previous studies that reported Emotional intelligence is negatively correlated with stress [173]
[12] [137] [65] [174] [78] [175] [176].

5.3.1.2 Implications for Organizations

i. Huang et.al. (2010) said that employees in service possessing higher levels of emotional
intelligence perform better as they do not react instantly or get stressed easily. Also
displayed emotions of employees can act as control moves for customers [177].
ii. In a service industry, situations that require surface acting may intervene with the real
feelings of the employee and make him work under stress. Literature explains how
Emotional Intelligence, can be used to cope up with this stress.
iii. A few organizations today provide stress management and counselling sessions to the
employees. The study reiterates that developing emotional intelligence competencies can
be instrumental in reducing the stress levels of employees.
iv. Moreover, the relationship between Emotional Intelligence and Role stress may also be
examined under the frame of various human resources practices. For example, a battery
of tests should be used in selection procedures to ensure that credible and emotionally
competent people join the organization.

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5.3.2 Relationship between Emotional Intelligence and Employee Commitment

In the Hospitality industry, there is significant and positive relationship between Emotional
Intelligence and Affective and Normative Commitment; however, there is no relation between
factors of Emotional Intelligence and Continuance Commitment. Similar results were shown in
the study by Somers (2009) who suggested that research in commitment should focus positive
work outcomes that are associated with the Affective–Normative dominant profile which
included lower turnover intentions and lower levels of stress. In the IT industry, there is seen to
be a significant and positive relationship between all the variables of Emotional Intelligence and
Affective, Continuance and Normative Commitment [178]

5.3.2.1 Implications for Organizations

i. In the Hospitality industry, usually due to slow growth there is seen to be quick turnover.
Sinc th nat of jobs is mostl cont act al an on “fix t m cont act” th a is s
no obligations for employees to continue working at one place.
ii. The results of the study confirm previous studies that have reported that good social
lations which a a pa t of on ’s motional int llig nc b tw n mplo s l a to
increase levels of organizational commitment. [126] [137][147] [148] .The nature of the
relationship is positive, implying that higher emotional intelligence would lead to higher
levels of commitment. Nikolaou et al. (2002) established that emotional intelligence
positively related to Affective Commitment [12].
iii. Ansari and Effendi (2011) emphasized that emotional intelligence levels of employees
are suitable in predicting leader-member exchange very strongly and inter and intra
personal skills of Emotionally Intelligent leaders are important for increasing the levels of
Organizational Commitment of employees [179]. Golparvar & Hosseinzadeh (2012)
concluded that that Organizational commitment predicts turnover. Organizations should
thus focus on developing emotional intelligence and leveraging the same to increase
Affective and Normative commitment in employees [180].

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5.3 Concluding Hypothesis 3

5.3.1 Role of Emotional Intelligence on Organizational Stress

5.3.1.1 Conclusions

Self Role Distance

In the Hospitality Industry, Self Role Distance (SRD) is ranked as the top most stressor. The
nature of service industry involves Emotional Labor in dealing with customers. Hochschild
(1983) contended that jobs involving emotional labor require the employee to interact face to
face or voice to voice with other stakeholders such as clients, customers and guests [34]. They
are required to produce emotional states in another person under expressions that are guided by
the organizations display rules requirement; making the employee is the actor, the client the
audience and the shop floor the stage . In this situation, one may have to behave differently from
his belief of his individual self concept. Added to these is sometimes the pressure to fulfil
customer expectations beyond the call of duty; thus may lead to a distance in ones individual
conception of self and his professional role. A regression analysis was done in order to find if
SRD could be predicted significantly by Emotional Intelligence. The predictors of SRD that
emerged are; Self-esteem, Communication, Handling egoism and Developing Others .The R2
value is .393.

In the IT industry SRD is ranked as the 4th Stressor. Even in this industry; the employees feel
similar compulsions to of behaving differently from their real selves; while dealing with guests
on foreign location and on site projects. Cheung and Tang (2009) said that emotional intelligence
has a role to play on the emotional labor outcomes because individuals with high emotional
intelligence have better emotional management strategies and people with lower emotional
intelligence find it hard to regulate their emotional expression [82]. The Regression results
showed that in the IT industry, the predictors that have evolved are Empathy and
Communication. The R2 value = .535

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Implications for Organizations

i. In order to reduce Self Role distance, employees of the hospitality need to develop Self
Esteem. This competency of Emotional Intelligence is related to ones belief in his worth.
Apart from this, the ability to communicate well and handle ones feeling of
overconfidence or egoism need to be controlled; so as to help reduce this distance.
ii. In the IT industry, focusing on developing empathy may help the employee to in
narrowing Self Role Distance. Good interpersonal communication may also be effective
in this regard, as this would give the employees a change to interact with each other
unlike their usual virtual means of communication.

Role Overload

Conclusions

In the Hospitality industry Role Overload (RO) is ranked as the 2nd most top stressor. It is
resultant of the pressures that are created due to the burden of work. In times of high occupancy,
the employees are required to work with greater efficiency with unpredictable schedules, strict
time lines, long hours of physical strain and difficult work situations at the back end areas. In the
IT industry, RO is ranked as the 8th stressor, with mean showing that the employees do not feel
overburdened at all times. Occasionally, in the IT industry, sudden overload may occur in case of
unanticipated time pressures, but usually work is seen to be divided in large teams, which
reduces the burden on individuals.

The results of the Regression show that In the Hospitality Industry, the predictors that have
evolved are Self Esteem ,Developing Others , Handling Egoism and Threshold of Emotional
Arousal .The R2 value = .437. In the IT Industry, the predictors that have evolved are Empathy,
Building Bonds and Communication, with a R2 value of .494.
Implications for Organizations

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i. Results show that in the Hospitality industry, there is scope to help the employees deal
with overburden by helping them increase their Self Esteem. Stress may be resultant of
low confidence levels that make an employee feel overloaded. Developing others by
being involved in training subordinates or being involved in mentoring etc would help in
boosting the self confidence of the employees. An ability to Handle Egoism by
understanding the relationship between feelings & actions would help in making the
employee feel less pressurized, as a mismanagement of each of these situations usually
create emotional upsets which could lead to greater stress.

ii. In IT industry, developing Empathy may make employees feel less burdened due to
environmental demands. If the organizations help in developing interpersonal
relationships, team work, use of effective communication channels, the employees would
be able to find social support and recreation; by interacting with their team members;
which would reduce a feeling of role overload.

Personal inadequacy

Conclusions

In both industries, Personal inadequacy (PI) is ranked 3rd as a stressor. In the Hospitality
industry, we note that PI can arise due to a lack of adequate trainings given to the employees.
Due to high attrition in the hospitality industry; employees are put on shop floor to fill immediate
vacancies and are encouraged to learn just through observation. In the IT industry also, there
may arise a lack of new training that are required to cope with the dynamic technological
changes and requirement. Regression results show that in the Hospitality Industry, the predictors
that have evolved, Self Esteem, Developing Others, Handling Egoism and Building Bonds. The
R2 value = .389. In the IT sector, the predictors are: Building Bonds, Threshold of Emotional
Arousal and Communication. The R2 value = .406.

Implications for Organizations

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i. In the Hospitality Industry, a sense of personal inadequacy may be helped in the

employees by appreciating and recognizing good performance. The nature of the job may
reduce self esteem as one is usually serving, clearing tables, cleaning rooms and pleasing
guests etc. Among other predictors, Developing Others and Handling Egoism may be
helpful in reducing Personal Inadequacy.
ii. In the IT industry, it is seen that the Building Bonds parameter of Emotional Intelligence
is important in making the employees develop trust, confidence and reliance with his
t am m mb s B ing awa of on ’s Th shol of Emotional A o sal wo l h lp him in
being able to understand the relationship between feelings and actions. All this would
help in reducing a feeling of Inadequacy among the employees.

Role Stagnation
Conclusions

Role Stagnation is ranked as the 4th stressor in the Hospitality industry. It is explained as a
feeling of being stuck in the same role for long due to lack of opportunities or development. In
the Hospitality industry, the skill set of the employees and educational levels may limit their
opportunities of growth beyond a certain point. Role Stagnation is ranked 2nd in the IT industry.
The results indicate that employees face stress and challenges and feel threatened by a feeling of
lack of advancement and growth opportunities.

In the Hospitality Industry, the predictors that emerge are Self Esteem and Flexibility &
Adaptability. The R2 value = .349 In the IT industry the predictors that have evolved are
Empathy & Handling Egoism. The R2 value = .489. RS is a significant stressor, more so in The
IT, it ranks 3rd which can also be due to the lack of opportunities for software professionals.
Handling egoism would help them overcome feelings of superiority and overconfidence, and
reducing a feeling of stagnation.

Implications for Organizations

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i. Within the Hospitality industry, stagnation sets in as there is a lack of growth

opportunities. There are also limited opportunities of functional shifts within the hotel.
This implies that an employee working in the front office may never be replaced by a
steward or a room boy; as the skill set for each is unique. Helping employees in building
their confidence levels and providing growth or change opportunities would help the in
reducing Role Stagnation. Fulfilling needs of individual development and making them
more flexible and adaptable to different kinds of jobs, would enable to reduce stagnation.

ii. In the IT industry, it is seen that the professionals may run out of assignments, if their
skill sets are no longer in demand by the clients. Many times the skills possessed by
them, only find a scope abroad. Developing empathy would help the employees in
sha ing an n stan ing ach oth ’s f lings an taking activ int st in th i
conc ns It wo l h lp th m n stan ach oth ’s ol s an th i own ol in th
organization. A sense of alienation would be reduced by encouraging Empathy and
interpersonal contact.

Inter Role Distance

Conclusions

Inter Role Distance (IRD) is ranked 5th for Hospitality Sector and 7th for IT sector. IRD is
experienced when there is a conflict between organizational and non-organizational roles. In the
Hospitality sector this may be resultant of the long working hours. In most service restaurants
that are operational in the morning and evening hours only, the employees have to spend the rest
of the day within the hotel vicinity; as it is impractical to travel back home and come again. In
other cases, working in night shifts may also hamper the personal lives of the employees. This
may create an imbalance in the fulfilment of professional and personal roles.

Similarly in the IT sector also, working in different time zones; the employees may experience
stress due to time constraints that create conflict between ones personal and professional roles.

In the Hospitality Industry the predictors that evolve are Threshold of Emotional Arousal ,Self
Esteem , adaptability & flexibility and Empathy .The R2 value = .378. In the IT industry, the

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predictors that evolve are predictors that have evolved are Empathy, Threshold of Emotional
Arousal, Communication and Handling Egoism. The R2 value = .594

Implications for Organizations

i. In the Hospitality Industry Inter Role Distance is impacted by Threshold of emotional

arousal, which implies the ability of controlling the urge to react instantly. If the urge to
react instantly can be controlled, the employees would be able to deal with the strain
arising out of the compulsion to act out various roles. Self Esteem can be explained as
ones confidence in ones abilities and strengths and his control on emotions. This implies
that if an individual is appreciated in his ability of managing different roles, he may feel
that he is not failing at performing any role, whether personal or professional. Self
Esteem would also help in making the individual feel confident of his participation in
these various roles. Adaptability and flexibility also contributes to IRD, as being flexible
according to situational demands would help in managing themselves through demanding
situations.
ii. In the IT industry, there is maximum contribution of Empathy in IRD. This implies that
empathy should be developed in the employees that will help in dealing with stress. Ones
threshold of emotional arousal is the ability to respond to stimuli of low intensity with an
understanding of the relationship between feelings & actions. An understanding of self
control would help an individual in maintaining his professional and personal roles.
Communication would mean, being capable of registering emotional cues in attuning
their message. Developing Emotional Intelligent competencies would help an employee
in dealing with IRD.

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Role Erosion

Conclusions

In the Hospitality industry, Role Erosion emerges at 6th rank. Managers in both industries may
need to work towards providing visibility of the roles of their employees, such that the stress due
to a feeling of erosion is reduced. As a stressor, Role Erosion is ranked 1st in the IT industry. In
this the occupant feels that others are performing certain functions, which should have been a
part of his role. The employees feel stressed due to the lack of ownership.

In the Hospitality industry, predictors that have evolved are, Developing Others,
Communication, Handling Egoism and Flexibility & Adaptability. The R2 value = .387. In the IT
Industry, the predictor that has evolved is Building Bonds. The R2 value = .232

Implications for Organizations

i. In the Hospitality Industry, Role Erosion can be also linked to a feeling of a lack of
opportunity in terms of lack of advancement in career. By being associated with an
opportunity to transfer learning or Developing Others, the employees may feel that their
role is also important. In some cases effective leadership can also be used to give due
credit to people for their contribution.
ii. In the IT industry, developing of interpersonal relationships would help in reducing this
feeling of a diminishing role that the employees feel. The nature of teams formed in the
IT sector, comprise of an average of 50- 100 members. The essence of team work is
target achievement oriented, rather than much interpersonal intervention.

Role Isolation

Conclusions

Role Isolation is ranked as the 5th in the IT industry 9th as a stressor in the Hospitality Industry. It
occurs when a person feels that his role is isolated from the mainstream of organizational life.

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This may be helped by creating an environment of employee involvement and engagement. For
the Hospitality industry, as most of the work is carried out in the operational and back areas, the
employees in back end departments such as kitchens; maintenance, laundry etc may feel a sense
of alienation with the mainstream activities of the hotel. In the IT industry also, Role isolation
may occur as the roles of various people are clearly segregated at each stage of the product life
cycle, for e.g. the role of a developer takes a back seat as the product moves to a tester and then
an analyst. A sense of non visibility may arise towards the end stage of the product/service as the
employee may no longer me at the main stage to represent the product/service.

The predictors that have evolved in the Hospitality Industry are Threshold of Emotional Arousal
& developing others. The R2 value = .386. The predictors that have evolved for the IT industry
are Building Bonds, Threshold of Emotional Arousal, Empathy and Flexibility & Adaptability.
The R2 value = .534.

Implications for Organizations

i. In the Hospitality sector, there is often a tendency of the client interaction and visible to
receive more importance, while many backend roles go unnoticed. Understanding of the
relationship between feelings & actions can help the employee in perceiving their roles as
non isolated. Developing others can be helpful in encouraging more participation that can
help in reducing isolation.
ii. In the IT sector, isolation can be dealt with by building upon the interpersonal
relationships among the employees, making employees more adaptable and understand
th i own f lings an actions An n stan ing of on ’s own th shol ma h lp an
employee in dealing with negative emotions.

Role expectation Conflict (REC)

Conclusions

Role expectation Conflict (REC) is ranked as the 7th top stressor in the Hospitality Industry and
9th in the IT industry. This arises as conflicting demands originating from superiors, subordinates

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or peers. The managers in both industries need to help devise work arrangement in a way that
there is no spilling of work between employees and teams.

In the Hospitality Industry, the predictors that have evolved are Self Esteem, Communication,
Threshold of Emotional Arousal and Developing Others. The R2 value = .439. In the IT Industry,
the predictors that have evolved are Empathy, Communication and Developing Others. The R2
value = .561

Implications for Organizations

i. It is seen that increasing the Self Esteem and being aware of Threshold of emotional
arousal in dealing with others and appropriate communication can be used to reduce the
pressure that is built on an individual in terms of expectations from different roles and
the fear of failing to fulfil them.
ii. In the IT industry, more interpersonal interaction is needed to be developed; such that the
employees are able to understand the expectations that arise from the various roles at
work and in their personal lives.

Resource Inadequacy

Conclusions

Resource Inadequacy (RIN) is ranked as the 8th stressor in the Hospitality Industry and 6th in the
IT industry. It arises when human and material resources allocated are inadequate to meet the
demands of the role. Past studies have affirmed the strategies of hotels with respect to trying to
minimize costs through applying a range of cost-cutting strategies (Bernhardt, Dresser, &
Hatton, 2003). The managers in both industries need to ensure allocation of human and material
resources, such that the shortage is not compensated by extremely limited resources.
In the Hospitality Industry the predictors that have evolved are Flexibility & Adaptability,
Threshold of emotional arousal and Developing Others. The R2 value = .462. In the IT industry
the predictors that have evolved are Empathy, Communication, and Threshold of emotional
arousal and Building Bonds. The R2 value = .528

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Implications for Organizations

i. In the Hospitality Industry Flexibility & Adaptability can ensure that the employees are
aware of the importance of their personal resources and strengths and they are ready to
use them for effective service.
ii. In the IT industry Empathy, Communication and good interpersonal relationships may
help the employee in coping with the strain of limited personal and material resources.

Role Ambiguity

Conclusions

In terms of Role Ambiguity (RA), though this is ranked last in the list of stressors in both
industries. This is experienced when there is a lack of clarity about the demands of the role.
However results indicate that (RA) is not a major stressor among the employees. Sehgal (1997)
found that above Ambiguity; Role Erosion, Resource Inadequacy and Inter-Role Distance were
dominating contributors of role stress [181]. The predictors that have evolved are in the
Hospitality industry are Flexibility & Adaptability, Threshold of emotional arousal and
Developing Others. The R2 value = .462, In the IT industry the predictors that have evolved are
Empathy and Communication. The R2 value = .554

Implications for Organizations

i. In the Hospitality industry, the employees are required to meet customer demands and
expectations. There may not always be a very clear procedure or structured decisions of
meeting customer demands. Adaptability and flexibility would enable an employee to
perform his roles based on situational demands.
ii. In the IT industry understanding the mind sets of others with Empathy and
Communication can help the employees in getting an understanding of the requirement
and expectations from their role.

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5.3.2 Role of Emotional Intelligence on Employee Commitment

5.3.2.1. Conclusions

For Affective commitment in the Hospitality industry, the predictors are Empathy and
Developing Others. The R2 value = .179. In the IT Industry the predictors are Empathy and
Communication. The R2 value = .222. This implies that Affective Commitment, which is Ones
emotional attachment to the organization can primarily be developed with the help of the
competency of Empathy. Empathy is the ability associated to understanding and knowing other
p opl ’s f lings n s an conc ns Comm nication is th abilit to list n op nl an s n
clear messages effectively to others. Appropriate communication can be used to increase good
int p sonal lationships n stan th points of vi ws of oth s an conv on ’s own
views. Developing others would lead to realizing one’s own potential .By using these Emotional
Intelligence competencies, a sense of affection to the organization can be increased.

For Normative commitment, the predictors In the Hospitality Industry are Developing Others.
The R2 value = .159. In IT predictors that have evolved are Handling Egoism, Building Bonds,
and Empathy. The R2 value = .443. Since Normative Commitment levels are low in this industry,
it is important that the use of empathy can be made, for employees to feel a sense of
responsibility towards their work. In the IT industry, employees need to handle their egoism and
develop interpersonal relationships, such that an obligation to remain loyal is created.

For Continuance commitment, the predictors In the Hospitality Industry are Developing Others,
Threshold of emotional arousal, Building Bonds and Flexibility& Adaptability. The R2 value =
.127.In the IT industry the predictors are Handling egoism, Building bonds, Self esteem,
Developing others, Flexibility & adaptability. The R2 value = .183. The broad analysis shows
that Emotional Intelligence would be helpful in increasing the levels of employee commitment.

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5.4 Concluding Hypothesis 4

5.4.1 Demographic Analysis on Emotional Intelligence, Organizational Stress and

Employee Commitment in the IT and Hospitality Industry.
The study shows a significant influence of demographic factors on Emotional Intelligence,
Organizational Stress and Employee in the IT and Hospitality Industry. The same has been
supported by previous studies by the researchers [182]. A discussion on the same is done by
explaining each demographic factors.

5.4.1.1 Conclusions for Designation: Managers & Executives

It is seen that for specific parameters Executives have higher levels of Emotional Intelligence
than Managers in both industries. Similarly, the analysis shows that the managers of the both
industries have higher levels of stress than the executives. Similar results were found in a study
by Slaski and Cartwright (2002) [139]. Significant correlations in the expected direction were
found indicating that managers who scored lower in emotional quotient suffered more subjective
stress, experienced ill health and well-being. The executives are mostly subjected to trainings
pertaining to guest service, which helps them develop emotional intelligence competencies.
Organizations would need to explore the reasons for the same and help the Managers in
developing Emotional Intelligence. The leaders in many high technology organizations have
experienced reduction in profitability and growing attrition due to their inability to retain highly
skilled knowledge workers due to perceived lack of EI practiced by leaders [183]. For
organizational Commitment, we see that for both industries there is significant difference for the
levels of Affective commitment. In the Hospitality industry, it is seen that the Executives have
higher levels of affective commitment than the Managers, whereas in the IT industry we see that
the Managers have higher levels of Affective commitment than the executives. This also shows
that in the hospitality industry, as job tenure increases; reasons for reduction in affective
commitment need to be explored; where as in the IT industry, Affective commitment needs to be
developed in the early years of to reduce attrition.

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5.4.1.2 Conclusions for Gender: Male Employees & female Employees

In terms of Emotional Intelligence in the Hospitality Industry, Females have higher Emotional
Intelligence in the parameter of Building Bonds; whereas in the IT industry there is significant
difference for the parameters of Self Esteem, Flexibility & Adaptability, Building Bonds, in
which male respondents have higher levels of emotional intelligence than female respondents. In
the IT industry, there is thus a need to increase self confidence and help develop adaptability and
interpersonal relationships in the Female employees. In the Hospitality sector, we see that the
male respondents are seen to have higher levels of stress than the female respondents .The result
is also supported from the study of Bocchino, Carol C et al. (2003) who reported that Male
Employees showed higher levels of stress and to have been in their current jobs and with the
company tenure [184]. Loosemore and Waters (2004) studied the influence of gender on stress
levels working together and found that overall; men experience slightly higher levels of stress
than women [103].
The nature of work load on the employees in the Hospitality industry, mostly confines women to
roles that require their presence in the public areas of the hotels. A very few number of women
are employed in work that requires physical strain, such as kitchens, laundry, security and
maintenance. In the IT industry, there is no significant difference between the Male and Female
Respondents of except for the parameter, Inter Role Distance (IRD), and Resource Inadequacy
(RIN).Females are seen to experience greater levels of stress. Inter Role distance is experienced
when there is a conflict between organizational and non-organizational roles. The impact of work
load and time lines makes women feel stressed due to the multiple professional and personal
roles that they perform. Resource Inadequacy depicts that women feel a lack of training and
resources to perform their current roles and work. Similar results were confirmed by researchers
[185][186]. Balasubramanian & Chokalingam (2009) concluded that the female IT professionals
experience considerable level of overall stress due to perceived role stressors. In terms of
Organizational Commitment, there is difference in levels of Affective commitment only in the IT
industry, with male respondents showing higher scores.

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5.4.1.3 Conclusions for Qualification Levels: Graduate & Post Graduate

In both industries, the results indicate there is no significant difference in the levels
Organizational Stress and emotional intelligence bas on q alification l v ls of th mplo s’
.Similar results were seen in the study by Aziz (2004) [101] , who showed that the level of
education did not emerge as a significant differentiator of stressors. Though researchers do share
a contrary view, where educational factors are seen to impact the levels of stress experienced.
Michailidis M, Georgiou Y.,(2005) concluded that employees ' educational levels affect the
degree of stress they experience in various ways [107]. Employees with higher education
experienced lesser stress. For the Hospitality and IT industry, higher qualification, certifications
etc may not be a solution to addressing organizational stress.
In terms of Organizational Commitment, we notice that in the Hospitality industry there is
significant difference between the post graduate respondents and Graduate respondents in
relation to affective commitment; with graduate respondents showing higher levels of Affective
Commitment. The graduates occupy Executive levels are seen to be more committed to their
organizations than post graduates, may be due to limited career opportunities based on
qualification, outside of the organizations. There is no significant difference in Organizational
Commitment based on qualification levels of the employees of the IT Industry.

5.4.1.4 Conclusions for Age Group of Employees

In terms of emotional intelligence, for both the industries, age group (45 to 58 yrs), has the
highest levels of EI and least levels of stress in both industries, the group (36-45 yrs) in the
Hospitality industry and (27-35 yrs) in the IT industry show least levels of Emotional
Intelligence and highest levels of Emotional Intelligence, in comparison with the other groups.
Thus overall, we notice that the existing literature is supported by the fact that more emotional
intelligence in individuals is developed with age. These results are in line with previous
researches that show that Emotional intelligence was significantly and positively related to
demographic factors such as age and experience [19].

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It is seen that in the hospitality industry, the age bracket (36-45) needs to be appraised on
Emotional Intelligence competencies, where as in the IT, employees need to be trained on
Emotional Intelligence competencies in the start of their careers. Being that there are slow
advancement in career, due to limited managerial position and growth opportunities, within the
same hotels; usually the employees are seen to feel stressed at this age bracket of (36-45 yrs).The
employees could also be subjected to lots of personal responsibilities at this stage , in terms of
family , children etc. This is also an age that can be characterized by other compulsions and
family pressures. In the IT industry we see an early inception of stress, mostly within the first
five years of working itself. Organizations would need to focus on these specific age groups in
both industries and diagnose problems. The same groups (27-35) in the Hospitality industry and
(36-45) also have the lowest levels of Employee Commitment.
It also shows that Hospitality employees have a sense of loyalty in the five to first ten years of
their careers and thus as tenure increases, it is seen that the levels of commitment are seen to fall
down. In the IT industry, the lowest affective and continuance commitment is seen in the group
(27-35 yrs).The highest levels of normative commitment are seen in the group (45-58yrs) and the
lowest in the group (27-35 yrs).This shows a sudden shift in the attitude of the employees in
terms of affective commitment for their organizations. An analysis of the results show that
having worked in the organization for approximately five years and above, there are reasons why
the employees feel disoriented with their organizations. This study confirms the views of
previous studies. Allen & Meyer (1993) have found there to be a positive relationship to between
an mplo ’s ag an tim with th o ganization an th i l v l of commitm nt[187]. The study
by Kacmar et al. (1999) examined variables such as age, had a positive relationship between
organizational commitment, and a negative relationship between turnover intentions [132].

5.4.1.5 Conclusions for Work Experience of employees

It is seen that the highest levels of Emotional Intelligence are seen for the group (1-5yrs ) & (6-
10 yrs) in the Hospitality Industry and the group (1-5yrs ) yrs in the IT industry. In the
Hospitality industry, there seems to be no significant difference in the levels of organizational
stress in context of work experience, except on the parameter of Role Ambiguity (RA) , highest
of which is perceived by the group (11-20 yrs) and minimum by the group (1-5yrs).This also

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indicates a lack of clarity about the demands of the role. This shows that there could be a gap in
the expectations and orientation, training given to employees who fall in this group.
In the IT industry, the highest organizational stress is seen to be in the work group (6-10 yrs),
and the least in the group (above 20 yrs). Research shows that there is a very common practice of
software engineers who have less than five years of work experience; to leave work [188]. This
is a resultant of issues like a shrinking student base, low attractiveness of the profession in terms
of image and status [189]. In terms of Organizational Commitment, in the hospitality industry;
the groups with the highest commitment levels are in the group (6-10 yrs) and lowest in (11-20).
In the IT industry, lowest levels of affective and normative commitment are for the group (6-
10yrs)
Overall, this view does not supports the previous study by Cummings (2005) concluded that
th is no lation b tw n mog aphic facto s s ch as g n ag an cation on on ’s
emotional intelligence [75]. Singh and Singh (2008) concluded that there is no significant
difference in levels of emotional intelligence and perceived role stress between genders, but
negative significant relationship exists between emotional intelligence and organizational role
stress for both the genders [76].

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5.5.1 Conclusion Model for the Service Industry:

Organizatio
nal Stress
Self Awareness
INTELLIGENCE

Relationship Management
EMOTIONAL

ent
Commitm
Employee
Relationship Management

Self Management

Figure. 6 Conclusion Model Relationship of Emotional Intelligence with Organizational

Stress and Employee Commitment.

After a detailed analysis of all the factors of Emotional Intelligence, Organizational Stress and
Employee Commitment; the study concludes with an analysis of the impact of Emotional
Intelligence on the Overall Organizational Stress and Overall Employee commitment in the
Service Industry. The results show that aspects of Self Awareness and Relationship Management
are most significant in helping reduce the levels of stress in the employees of both industries.
Factors of Self Awareness such as increasing Self Esteem and knowing ones Threshold of
Emotional Arousal would help an employee in dealing effectively with Role stress. Self Esteem
is an optimistic belief in ones capabilities. Self confidence is an val ation of on ’s
competencies and establishment of on ’s s lf sp ct an wo th Threshold of emotional arousal

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is the ability to be aware and respond to stimulus of low intensity and to be aware of the
relationship between feelings and actions. Tackling Emotional Upsets is the ability to tackle
complexes, frustrations, to avoid stress and burnout. Individuals having a positive self image and
a conscious control over frustrations and instant reactions would be able to cope more effectively
with Stress.

To increase Overall Employee Commitment, a focus on Relationship management and Self

Management would be essential. Research concludes that commitment can be improved through
interpersonal relationships and tools like mentoring [190]. Relationship Management involves
Building Binds relationships, Communication and Developing others. Building Bonds is the
ability of building and continuing close and good relationships with a variety of people at work.
Communication involves communicating positive emotions from verbal and non - verbal
communication. Developing others refers to the propensity and inclination to strengthen and
support the abilities of others through feedback, persuasion and guidance. A sense of healthy
relationships with people at work would help one in increasing the levels of Employee
Commitment [191]. Self Management involves Flexibility & Adaptability and Handling Egoism.
Flexibility in adapting to changing situational demands with emotional stability and managing
commitments can help one in increasing ones levels of employee commitment. Handling Egoism
by discouraging overconfidence or superiority complex can strengthen ones commitment to the
work environment and the colleagues. Both these factors can contribute to increased levels of
Employee Commitment.

5.5.2 Concluding Remarks

In the service industry, work scenarios are characterized by complex work systems which require
huge emotional labor. To keep pace with the demands of the jobs, individuals may feel a sense of
depletion and exhaustion of physical and mental resources. Prolonged exposure to such
situations has been found to have dysfunctional effects in the individuals; leading to workplace
stress. Employees of the service industry deal in emotional labour; which requires them to be
emotionally intelligent in their interactions with customers at all times. It has been observed that

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employees with higher emotional intelligence are more aware of the coping strategies to deal
with stress.
The present study establishes the importance of Emotional Intelligence competencies through
va io s asp cts of on ’s wo k lif Emotional Int llig nc is s n to impact job satisfaction
performance, leadership styles and commitment levels. Its impact on various dimensions of Role
Stress and different types of Commitment has been explored. Researchers have highlighted the
role of emotional competencies and relationship management as keys to business success. The
service industry works on the ethic of increasing the importance of creating a, 'positive'
experiences for customers. It may be easy to replicate technology, physical surroundings and
infrastructure, but the differentiating factor remains the, emotional experience for the guest, as he
avails the service [192].The acknowledgement to develop emotional competencies of the
workforce therefore becomes a focal point for human resource practitioners and trainers [193].
Since both the industries cater to customer service; it is imperative that Emotional Intelligence
should be used in dealing with customers and team members. Though both industries have some
unique characteristics of working, what lies common to them is the importance of managing their
mplo s in a wa that th a abl to liv a “ b on xp ctations” s vice.

The study develops a framework that integrates western and Indian views on Emotional
Intelligence. The factors that have been derived from the analysis gather from both Indian and
western researchers. The findings of this study show that are in line with previous findings that
show that there is considerable stress amongst the employees of the hospitality and IT industry. It
is also found that Emotional Intelligence impacts the levels of stress in both industries. We see
that the employees of the hospitality industry experience higher levels of stress and have lesser
emotional intelligence than the employees of the IT industry. The reason for higher levels of
overall stress could be found in a lack of trainings that strengthen emotional competencies or
recruitment of individuals with average or lower levels of emotional intelligence. It is seen that
the IT sector shows lesser amounts of stress than the employees of the Hospitality sector; none
the less; Emotional intelligence competencies seem to impact levels of stress considerably. A
few organizations today provide stress management and counselling sessions to the employees.

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This study reiterates that emotional intelligence training and competencies can be instrumental in
reducing the stress levels of employees. Though many cultures vary in the way they display
emotions, yet the concept of emotional intelligence applies in the same capacity towards feeling
towards the self and other people. The study emphasizes on the relationship and role of
Emotional Intelligence as a predictor of Organizational Stress and Employee Commitment.
Management practitioners can use the detailed findings of the study to develop Emotional
Intelligence through various means as this would help the employees in dealing effectively with
Organizational Stress and Employee Commitment.

The results support this finding in both industries. Since Emotional Intelligence is most
researched in the western countries; the model of Emotional Intelligence that the study proposes,
can be used for further research; as it combines both Indian and America perspectives on
emotional Intelligence. Similarly, since both industries are characterized by increasing Stress low
levels of employee commitment; the study finds that Emotional Intelligence has a significant role
to play on organizational stress and employee commitment. Managers would need to explore the
other hidden predictors that lead to low levels of commitment in both the industries. Research
and current training practices in the IT industry also show that the training are mostly related to
technical skills. The industry needs to focus on behavioural training also that will help the
employees in dealing with attitudinal issues related to work and this would help in developing
coping mechanisms and well being.

5.6 Limitations and Scope for Future Research

There are very few studies that have been conducted on the comparison of the Indian IT and
Hospitality sector, more so; on the relationship of all the three constructs of Emotional
Intelligence, Organizational Stress and Employee Commitment. Yet, like all researches, the
present research also has its limitations, which are listed as follows:

1. All the three scales are self report measures. These tools can be subject to the biases of
self report measures, in which the respondents have a tendency to mark themselves
higher on questions that have a positive tone.

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2. The scope does not include Individual personality differences that can affect role stress,
Emotional Intelligence or Commitment levels in individuals.
3. The results of the study show the role of Emotional Intelligence as a significant predictor
of Organizational Stress and Employee Commitment, yet there is scope for understanding
the unexplained remaining variance on the factors through other dimensions such as
organizational culture and individual differences.
4. Last but not the least; the research is limited to the investigation of HR
managers/professionals among Delhi and other National Capital Regions of India. It is
possible that sampling method may have limited the generalizability of the results.

Scope for Future Research

Emotional intelligence has implications for successful relationships and self management. The
cont mpo a wo kplac mak s v g at man s on a p son’s motional an ph sical
resources, having an emotionally intelligent workforce will help the employers to embark on
better customer relations and business advantages.

1. Research can also be conducted to see if Individual Differences of Personality can

mediate the role of Emotional Intelligence on Organizational Stress and Employee
Commitment.
2. The research model can be used to examine the relationship between Emotional
Intelligence, Organizational Stress and Employee Commitment in other service
industries.
3. The scale of Emotional Intelligence can be used to measure emotional intelligence among
the existing employees of service organizations.
4. Researchers can explore the issue of Role stress and see if there is a difference between
stress at work and general stress that an individual goes through. Further, if Emotional
Intelligence plays a role on both the stresses.

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