The idea behind this study was formed due to the current inconsistencies that cloud fuel accountability by merchant mariners. This means that the MSC logistical mariners are not efficient enough in their job. The inconsistencies are further reflected in the monthly dollar irregularities by the department. To provide a possible solution, the problem must be looked at from different angles. This study looks at the problem by considering the employees’ performance in relation to their emotional intelligence and task-performance. Andrei, Siegling, Aloe, Baldaro, & Petrides, (2016) suggests that the performance inconsistencies may be a result of low emotional intelligence of the employees and high-stress levels. This study is, therefore, based on a theory that high EI helps in managing job-related stress which then leads to good performance. The research will address the issue by identifying how all the three; EI, task-performance, and job stress relate to one another and how they affect the merchant mariners while performing their tasks.
Emotional intelligence refers to an individual’s ability to have knowledge and control of his/her emotions and use the same knowledge to impact others. EI describes various observable feelings, behaviors, and changes in one’s mind and body (Macht, Nembhard, & Leicht, 2019). People have feelings, likes, dislikes, and emotions which vary from one situation to another. They cause the individual to be happy, unhappy, satisfied, or dissatisfied. They also affect how the individual will relate to others at work or in any social setup (Andrei et al., 2016). For example, if one has sufficient knowledge about his/her emotion, the individual will understand how other people around might be impacted and exercise some level of control.
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There are five main components of EI; they include self-awareness, social skills, motivation, empathy, and self-regulation (Macht et al., 2019). Self-awareness is an individual’s ability to know and understand abilities, motivations, and moods. The individual must also understand how these traits affect people around them. It might take time and a high level of maturity for one to obtain complete self-awareness. The person will be identified as emotionally mature with traits such as high confidence levels. Self-regulation is the ability to manage actions such as impulses and showing appropriate expressions in various situations. At work, people face different situations, and some of them might attract unhealthy reactions. An emotionally intelligent individual will be calm enough to know how to handle any situation.
High emotional intelligence is required to perform in different jobs. Various studies show that emotionally intelligent employees perform well due to good knowledge and accountability of their actions. However, worst performers are not necessarily the people with the lowest EI. One possible explanation of some of the poor performance regarding fuel accountability is low EI by some workers. To be efficient when providing the transporting services, the mariners must be able to identify and manage their emotions and know how to impact others.
Job stress is characteristic of any work. However, the nature of stress varies depending on the profession and the work involved. Once employed, there are many types, and sources of stress one has to put up with. The first source is job requirements and daily procedures. They include individual skills, interpersonal relations, working hours, and knowledge requirements. For example, an individual may not have the skills to relate well with others. This would lead to frustrations and possible conflicts with other employees (Gultekin & Icigen, 2019). The result will be stress at work, and this may affect the task performance of the workers.
The work of civilian mariners involves providing transport services to the navy soldiers. Sometimes, they have to stay at sea for a long period. Long stays at sea can be stressful. Also, during wars, the stress levels may go high higher. Another source of stress for merchant mariners is that they have to work in unfamiliar territories and to complete many tasks. The employees need to have the high emotional intelligence to manage the stress and perform well in different tasks. This is a classic example of how the three variables can relate to one another.
Task-performance is the nature of how well an individual or a group of workers complete a piece of work. It also depends on a number of factors. They include individual knowledge and skills, working environment, job rewards, and job satisfaction, among many others. a person with sufficient knowledge and skills to do the work will know various ways of completing the required task. Even if other conditions are not conducive enough, a well-skilled worker will find solutions in good time. When the working environment is conducive, employees tend to perform well due to high motivation and satisfaction levels (Branscum, Haider, Brown, & Sharma, 2016). The civilian mariners will need to get motivated and satisfied with their work to boost their performance. The inconsistencies with fuel accountability mean that sometimes the employees perform well but fail to replicate the same performance. This study will address the irregularities by addressing the three mentioned variables.
The discussion above indicates that there could be a relationship between emotional intelligence, task-performance, and job stress. Emotional intelligence enables the employees to be aware of their emotions, manage them, and understand the impacts they have on other workers. The work of civilian mariners has its share of job-related stress. Others may come from other daily dealings. To manage stress well, employees need high levels of EI (Boa, Xue, & Kong, 2015). The result will be an improvement in task-performance. So far, there is a lack of enough evidence to support how the three variables are related. The aim of this study is to create more knowledge on the issue.
References
Andrei, F., Siegling, A. B., Aloe, A. M., Baldaro, B., & Petrides, K. V. (2016). The incremental validity of the Trait Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire (TEIQue): A systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of Personality Assessment , 98(3), 261-276, doi: 10.1080/00223891.2015.1084630
Boa, X., Xue, S., & Kong, F. (2015). Dispositional mindfulness and perceived stress: The role of emotional intelligence. Personality and Individual Differences , 78, 48-52, doi: 10.1016/j.paid.2015.01.007
Branscum, P., Haider, T., Brown, D., & Sharma, M. (2016). Using EI and social support to predict job performance of health educators. American Journal of Health Education , 47(5), 309-314, doi: 10.1080/19325037.2016.1203840
Gultekin, S., & Icigen, E. (2019). A research on professional tour guides emotional intelligence and problem-solving skills. Journal of Quality Assurance in Hospitality and Tourism , 20(2), 230-258, doi: 10.1080/1528008x.2018.1524810
Macht, G. A., Nembhard, D. A., & Leicht, R. M. (2019). Operationalizing emotional intelligence for team performance. International Journal of Industrial Ergonomics , 71, 57-63, doi: 10.1016/j.ergon.2019.02.007
