How Leader and Followers’ Emotional Intelligence Jointly Affect Affective Commitment, and Job Satisfaction : The Mediatory Role of Mutual Recognition Respect, and LMX, Complemented by Followers' Personality Traits

Mutual recognition form of respect between managers and their subordinates predicted employee well-being as well as job performance. This study aims to examine the role of both Leader and Follower (Subordinates) Emotional Intelligence for Job Satisfaction and Affective Commitment, through the role of Mutual recognition respect. For this, we proposed a theoretical framework modifying the Clarke et. al.(2017) model, to incorporate personality traits, and LMX. We contend that Leader and Follower Emotional Intelligence increase Mutual recognition respect (MRR), and Leader-Member Exchange (LMX), these would in turn lead towards Affective Commitment, and Job Satisfaction. We also contend the leader and followers' EI complement each other in producing their effect of MRR and LMX. We further suggest that followers’ personality traits also moderate the effect of both EI on both MRR and LMX. The target population for this survey was the general public in Pakistan, who are working at a different level. A total of 299 self-administered questionnaires were distributed. The questionnaire consists of 48 questions. A PLS Smart methodology was employed to test the hypotheses and descriptive statistics were used to explore data characteristics. The results suggested that Leader Emotional Intelligence and LMX have a direct and positive effect on Affective commitment. Affective commitment, and LMX in turn positively affecting Job Satisfaction. Follower Emotional Intelligence also seems to be positively affecting Job Satisfaction. Moderation analysis showed that Conscientiousness positively moderates the effect of followers' EI on LMX and Mutual recognition respect. Extraversion, Neuroticism seems to have a negative moderation on the effect of leader EI on and Leader EI also seems to be negatively Mutual recognition respect, and LMX respectively. Agreeableness also negatively moderates the effect of Follower's EI on LMX. These findings implicated that organizations can focus on selection as an additional mechanism for helping to bring about greater recognition respect between managers and those that report to them. Selecting managers and employees with high trait EI may be one such approach