Emotional intelligence and low-wage labor
Low-wage, low-skill jobs are prevalent in the United States of America, and they are typically represented in low-end services occupations (e.g. food and cleaning services) and sales (e.g., cashiers and other jobs in retail) as reported by Bernstein and Hartmann (1999). These entry-level employees are essential for many businesses to succeed because these are the people who deliver the proper product or service to the customer. The term for this type of job, as defined by economists such as Bernstein and Hartmann, is Low-wage Labor ; and according to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics (1996), low-wage, low-skilled jobs are not diminishing any time soon. These jobs are at the entry-level, typically require little or no skill, and offer little upward mobility. They typically do not pay well, with workers earning in the bottom 20 percent of the wage scale, or near "poverty level" (Bernstein & Hartmann, 1999). According to Figler (1999), low-wage labor is often physically and emotionally demanding due to the monotonous nature of the tasks and constant pressure to work faster. People working in these low-wage/low-skill jobs typically have nowhere else to turn. They just need a job, whether it is part-time or full-time. There are relatively unique human resource issues when employing low-wage laborers. First, the turnover rate is extremely high. Lane (1999) reports that industries hiring low-wage workers have the highest turnover. On top of dealing with people who quit or get fired, companies deal with employees that often lack enthusiasm, have low commitment, come in late, and abuse drugs and alcohol (C. Myers, personal communication, October 16, 2003; P. Carson, personal communication, February 23, 2004). Cognitive ability test have been shown to moderately predict job performance in a manufacturing sample (e.g., Kolz, McFarland, & Silverman, 1998), but personality assessments have not correlated highly with performance of people in low-wage labor positions (e.g., Barrick & Mount, 1991). Therefore, an alternative measure, such as an assessment of emotional intelligence, was considered a potentially useful tool for predicting job performance and other work outcomes. It was hypothesized that individuals who are more skilled at perceiving, understanding, and managing their own emotions, as well as those of others, would perform better and be more adept at handling the unpleasant working conditions associated with low-wage labor. For example, workers who recognized and effectively dealt with frustration, anger, resentment, or disgust when relegated to a low-wage labor position would be less likely to partake in counterproductive behaviors such as getting into trouble or missing work. In this study, the relationship between emotional intelligence and work outcomes was investigated in an organization dependent on low-wage labor. An in-depth description of the development, validity, measurement, and outcome criteria associated with emotional intelligence is presented in the first section to provide a theoretical basis for applying the construct to an organizational setting. A summary of low-wage labor follows, and specific hypotheses are presented. The results of this study do not support a relationship between measures of emotional intelligence and measures of job performance. However, emotional intelligence component scores are related to relevant work outcomes, and demographic variables such as ethnicity, gender, and age influence these results.
Year of publication: |
2006-01-01
|
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Authors: | Borys, Jeremy N |
Publisher: |
Wayne State University |
Subject: | Occupational psychology |
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