IMPACT OF EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE AND JOB SATISFACTION AS PREDICTORS OF BURNOUT AMONG LECTURERS OF AKANU IBIAM FEDERAL POLYTECHNIC

Abstract

The study investigated the role of emotional intelligence and job satisfaction in predicting burnout among lecturers of Akanu Ibiam Federal Polytechnic, Unwana, Ebonyi State. A total of 116 lecturers (male = 71) and (female = 45)
participated in the study. They were between the ages of 24 – 64 years with a mean age of 45 years. The purposive sampling technique was adopted in the study. The 3 instruments used for data collection were: a 20 item Minnesota
Satisfaction Questionnaire (MSQ) by Weiss, Dawis, England and Lofquist (1967) validated by Mogaji (1997), 33-item Emotional Intelligence Scale (EIS) by Schuttle, Marlouf, Hall, Harggerty Copper, Golden and Donhelm (1998)
validated in Nigeria by Ogunyemi and Adeyemo (2004) and a 22 – item Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) by Maslach (1983) validated by Omoluabi (1987) were used in eliciting information from the respondents. The Regression Analysis was applied as statistical tool to analysis the data. The findings showed that Emotional Intelligence is a significant predictor of Burnout (â = - . 43,P<001). Also, job satisfaction showed significant prediction of Burnout (â = - 23,P<.05). The study revealed that, as emotional intelligence and job satisfaction of Lecturers increases, burnout decreases and vice versa. This means that, as workers improve on their emotional intelligence and are satisfied with their job, there will be low burnout, which leads to increase in productivity, efficiency and effectiveness in the workplace and on the job. The paper recommends among other things that lecturers should always go for a psychological check-up on their emotional intelligence, on their level of satisfaction with their job and on their level of burnout. By so doing they will be subjected to counseling and some therapeutic exercises like Behavior modification, Relaxation therapy etc.