The Effect of the Emotional Intelligence on the Relationship between Emotional Labor and Turnover Intention of the General Hospital Nurses

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to examine the effect of emotional intelligence on the relationship between emotional labor and turnover intention of nurses who work in general hospitals. The sample for this study consisted of 278 nurses from a general hospital which is located in a city in Chonnam province. Data were collected from October 16 to October 22, 2012 and analyzed with the program of SPSS Win 17.0. The result of this study is as follows: The score of emotional labor for nurses was 3.21, which indicates above the average. The score of nurses’ turnover intent was 3.31, which indicates above average. The score of emotional intelligence was 4.57, which indicates above average. The analysis of the correlation, emotional labor and emotional intelligence with emotional intelligence and turnover intent have a significant negative correlation. Emotional labor and turnover intent have a significant positive correlation. The control of emotional intelligence by the subcategories, understanding of self-emotional and emotional utilization being controlled, appeared from emotional intelligence in the relationship between emotional labor and turnover intention. There is not a modulating effect by the understanding of others’ emotion and the emotional regulation which are a subcategories of emotional intelligence. In summary, it was found that the relations between emotional labor and turnover intention is controlled by self-emotional intelligence comprehension of emotional intelligence and emotional utilization. Therefore, it is necessary to develop an emotional program, which can comprehend emotional intelligence and improve emotional utilization of individual nurse, to decrease the turnover intention of nurse and the emotional labor in an organization.