The Effect of Emotional Intelligence on Job Security Among Employees in the Construction Sector
Keywords:
Emotional intelligence, job security, construction sector, self-management, social skills, employee well-beingAbstract
This study aimed to examine the impact of emotional intelligence on the perceived job security of employees working in the construction sector. A descriptive–survey research design was employed. Data were collected using two standardized instruments: Singh’s Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire, which measures self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, and relationship management, and Ashford, Lee, and Bobko’s Job Security Questionnaire. The instruments were adapted and validated for the local context, and their reliability was confirmed through Cronbach’s alpha coefficients (0.855 for emotional intelligence and 0.703 for job security). The target population consisted of employees engaged in construction projects. Using Cochran’s formula, 500 questionnaires were distributed, and 316 valid responses were obtained (85.44% male, 14.56% female; age range predominantly 18–30 years). Data analysis was performed using SPSS v26, employing Pearson correlation, simple and multiple linear regression, and K-means clustering to explore relationships and classify respondents by emotional intelligence and job security levels. The results revealed a significant positive correlation between emotional intelligence and job security (r = 0.276, p < 0.01). Among the emotional intelligence dimensions, self-management and social skills showed the strongest associations with job security. Regression analysis indicated that emotional intelligence significantly predicted job security even after controlling for demographic factors such as age, contract type, and work tenure. Cluster analysis showed that 59% of employees with high emotional intelligence reported high job security, while 43% of those with low emotional intelligence experienced low job security. The effect of emotional intelligence on job security was stronger among employees aged 18–30 years. Emotional intelligence plays a critical role in enhancing job security perceptions among construction employees. Developing self-management and social skills can buffer negative effects of contract type and tenure, fostering stability, satisfaction, and organizational resilience.
Downloads
References
[1] L. Greenhalgh and Z. Rosenblatt, "Job insecurity: Toward conceptual clarity," Academy of Management review, vol. 9, no. 3, pp. 438-448, 1984.
[2] S. J. Ashford, C. Lee, and P. Bobko, "Content, cause, and consequences of job insecurity: A theory-based measure and substantive test," Academy of Management journal, vol. 32, no. 4, pp. 803-829, 1989.
[3] A. Clark and F. Postel-Vinay, "Job security and job protection," Oxford Economic Papers, vol. 61, no. 2, pp. 207-239, 2009.
[4] F. Rahimnia, S. Nosrati, and G. Eslami, "Investigating effects of job security and autonomy on intention to quit through the mediating role of job embeddedness in public organizations," (in en), Journal of Public Administration, vol. 9, no. 2, pp. 333-357, 2017, doi: 10.22059/jipa.2017.242169.2097.
[5] J. D. Mayer, P. Salovey, and D. R. Caruso, "Mayer-Salovey-Caruso emotional intelligence test (MSCEIT) users manual," 2002.
[6] J. D. Mayer and P. Salovey, "What is emotional intelligence? UNH Personality Lab. 8," ed: University of New Hampshire Scholars' Repository, 2004.
[7] S. Singh, "Development of a measure of emotional intelligence," Psychological Studies-University of Calicut, vol. 49, pp. 136-141, 2004.
[8] P. J. Jordan, N. M. Ashkanasy, and C. E. Hartel, "Emotional intelligence as a moderator of emotional and behavioral reactions to job insecurity," Academy of Management review, vol. 27, no. 3, pp. 361-372, 2002.
[9] H. Soltani and N. Moghimi, "Explaining the relationship between job security and competitive advantages with employee productivity among female employees in Aseman Airlines," Women and Society Scientific-Research Quarterly, vol. 10, no. 2, pp. 19-38, 2019. [Online]. Available: https://jzvj.marvdasht.iau.ir/article_3555.html.
[10] M. H. Tanhaei, A. Nasre Esfahani, S. A. nilipour tabatabaei, and A. R. Akhavan Sarraf, "Recreation of Antecedents and Consequences of Employees' Organizational Silence Case Study: Isfahan Municipality," Journal of Applied Sociology, vol. 29, no. 4, pp. 147-166, 2018, doi: 10.22108/jas.2018.107632.1220.
[11] S. Ghazizadeh, H. Darvish, and M. Mahmoudi Miman, "Designing a foresight model for employees' attitudes toward job security in the face of blockchain by 2031," Asset Management and Financial Supply, vol. 12, no. 3, pp. 1-22, 2024. [Online]. Available: https://amf.ui.ac.ir/article_28417.html.
[12] S. Ghazizadeh, H. Darvish, and M. Mahmoudi Miman, "Designing a structural interpretative model of employees' attitudes toward job security in the context of blockchain by 2031," Public Organization Management, vol. 13, no. 2, pp. 109-130, 2025. [Online]. Available: https://ipom.journals.pnu.ac.ir/article_11298.html.
[13] H. Alsulami, S. H. Serbaya, A. Rizwan, M. Saleem, Y. Maleh, and Z. Alamgir, "Impact of emotional intelligence on the stress and safety of construction workers' in Saudi Arabia," Engineering, construction and architectural management, vol. 30, no. 4, pp. 1365-1378, 2023.
[14] S. Naz and S. Liaquat, "Impact of emotional intelligence on job satisfaction and psychological ownership among public and private employees: a case study of multan city," Pakistan Journal of Social Sciences (PJSS), vol. 35, no. 2, 2015.
[15] Á. García del Castillo-López and M. Pérez Domínguez, "Employees’ emotional intelligence and job satisfaction: The mediating role of work climate and job stress," Administrative Sciences, vol. 14, no. 9, p. 205, 2024.
[16] M. Ahmadi, "Job security and its role in organizational behavior and job satisfaction of employees," in Proceedings of the Eighth International Conference on Management, Psychology, and Human Sciences with a Sustainable Development Approach, Tehran, 2023. [Online]. Available: https://civilica.com/doc/2006807/.
[17] T. A. Wonda, "Does emotional intelligence have a contribution to employee performanc e enhancement? Empirical evidence from the public sectors," Cogent Business & Management, vol. 11, no. 1, p. 2415525, 2024/12/31/ 2024, doi: 10.1080/23311975.2024.2415525.
[18] L. R. W. Winata, "The Influence of Organizational Culture, Situational Leadership and Emotional Intelligence on Organizational Commitment Through Job Satisfaction at PDAM Tirta Ardhia Rinjani, Central Lombok Regency," Journal of Economics Finance and Management Studies, vol. 07, no. 05, 2024, doi: 10.47191/jefms/v7-i5-17.
[19] S. Setio, "The Influence of Emotional Intelligence, Job Satisfaction, on Employee Performance With the Mediating Variable of Work Motivation," The International Journal of Business & Management, 2024, doi: 10.24940/theijbm/2023/v11/i10/bm2310-022.
[20] A. Ali, "Emotional Intelligence Nexus With Job Stress, and Burnout in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Public Sector: Mediated Self-Efficacy," CRSSS, vol. 3, no. 1, pp. 2432-2444, 2025, doi: 10.59075/rhrr4r89.
Downloads
Published
Submitted
Revised
Accepted
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Mohammad Mokaberian, Amirmohammad Safari Zarch (Author)
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
