Media industry employees weigh in on emotional intelligence and its effect on job satisfaction, loyalty and culture in organizations that have experienced staff reductions

Abstract

[ACCESS RESTRICTED TO THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI AT REQUEST OF AUTHOR.] This study explores emotional intelligence in newsrooms across the U.S. that have undergone staff reductions in the last five years, seeking to find if employees found their managers to be emotionally intelligent in the communication of these layoffs. Additionally, this study looks to connect emotional intelligence from these managers, or lack thereof, to job satisfaction, employee retention and culture within the organization. This analysis is completed through the lens of emotional intelligence theory, which helps explain how emotional intelligence can affect the decisions made and actions taken by people, especially after times of change. The research indicates that when employees believe their managers are more emotionally intelligent, they are also more satisfied at work and are more loyal to the organization, even after staff reductions have taken place. Lastly, the research indicates that employees lack loyalty to their news organizations more often when staff reductions have taken place and when their managers communicated this transformational change in ways that lacked emotional intelligence. Overall, this study seeks to add to the literature surrounding emotional intelligence, linking it to news organizations, and offering insight into how this factor could ultimately have an impact on the ever changing and reorganizing media industry.