In a groundbreaking study exploring the nuanced dynamics between emotional intelligence, teamwork, productivity, and gender, researchers have unveiled compelling insights that reshape our understanding of workforce efficiency in developing economies. This research meticulously probes how emotional intelligence interplays with productivity among public sector workers, while unpacking the complex roles that gender and teamwork play as both mediators and moderators in these relationships.
The study hinges on a sophisticated structural equation modeling approach, namely PLS-SEM, to test a series of hypotheses designed to unravel both direct and indirect connections among the focal variables. Out of eight proposed hypotheses—four direct and four involving mediation and moderation—the study validates seven with statistical significance, underscoring the multifaceted influence of emotional intelligence in workplace productivity frameworks.
One pivotal finding reveals a significant positive relationship between emotional intelligence and productivity, signifying that public sector employees who possess higher emotional intelligence tend to exhibit improved productivity levels. The pathway coefficient (β = 0.170) coupled with a t-value of 2.242 and P-value of 0.025 firmly establishes this link. Such outcomes are transformative for human resource strategies, particularly in environments striving to maximize output amidst resource constraints common in developing nations.
Contrary to initial assumptions, the moderating role of gender on the emotional intelligence-productivity linkage did not attain statistical significance. Female workers (β = 0.146, P = 0.131) and male workers (β = 0.200, P = 0.083) displayed non-significant moderation effects, suggesting that emotional intelligence uniformly influences productivity regardless of gender, although nuances may exist beneath the surface level.
However, gender’s impact emerges as significant when examining the interaction between emotional intelligence and teamwork. The evidence reveals an unmistakably strong and positive association (β = 0.614, P < 0.001). More intriguingly, gender distinctly moderates this relationship, with both female and male workers showing robust moderating effects (β = 0.568 and 0.653 respectively, both P < 0.001). This indicates that emotional intelligence drives teamwork dynamics differently across genders, which holds profound implications for structuring collaborative projects and team compositions.
Teamwork, as the research further articulates, exerts a significant influence on productivity. The identified pathway coefficient (β = 0.674) alongside a compelling t-value of 10.122 confirms that cohesive teamwork substantially elevates output levels among public sector employees. This finding illuminates the instrumental role of fostering collaborative environments, reinforcing that teamwork is a critical organizational lever for boosting efficacy.
Gender again comes under the spotlight as a significant moderator in the relationship between teamwork and productivity. Both female workers (β = 0.638) and male workers (β = 0.682) display statistically significant moderations (P < 0.001). This dual effect accentuates nuanced gender-specific dynamics in how teamwork translates into productivity, highlighting tailored approaches for workforce optimization.
Delving deeper, teamwork acts as a potent mediator between emotional intelligence and productivity. The mediation model evaluated (β = 0.414, P < 0.001) strongly suggests that the positive influence of emotional intelligence on productivity is channeled significantly through enhanced teamwork. This mediator role confirms that emotional intelligence doesn’t just have a direct impact but fundamentally shapes collaborative efforts which, in turn, boost productivity.
Moreover, gender significantly moderates this mediated relationship, signifying that the efficacy of teamwork as a vehicle for emotional intelligence to improve productivity differs between male and female workers. Such insights are particularly seminal as they unravel complex interactive effects that can inform gender-sensitive workplace policies intended to maximize employee potential.
Quantitatively, emotional intelligence accounts for substantial variance in productivity—about 63% when considering both sexes combined. Intriguingly, the explanatory power diverges by gender, with male workers showing higher explained variance (69%) than female counterparts (54%). This pattern also holds true for teamwork, which emotional intelligence explains at 38% overall but varies between 32% for females and 43% for males, suggesting differentiated predictive strengths in the model.
Interestingly, effect sizes calculated via f-square denote generally small impacts despite statistical significance. This nuance suggests that while the relationships are meaningful, other extraneous factors likely influence productivity and teamwork, warranting further exploration.
The bootstrapping analysis—a rigorous resampling method employed to validate the robustness of path estimates—corroborates these mixed significance patterns, providing confidence in the模型results across direct, indirect, and moderated pathways. This methodological rigor fortifies the study’s conclusions against potential sampling variability.
Confidence interval assessments additionally reinforce the legitimacy of identified relationships, affirming significant and non-significant effects alongside mediation and moderation roles. These statistical validations underscore the robustness and reliability of findings, adding to the explanatory power of gender and teamwork in driving productivity outcomes.
A final multi-group analysis compares female and male public sector workers, revealing that although the impact of emotional intelligence tends to be somewhat greater among men, the differences in path coefficients between genders do not reach statistical significance. This subtle differentiation, while not stark, signals potential underlying gendered workplace behavior patterns worth strategic attention.
From a predictive standpoint, the PLS-SEM model demonstrates varying relevance across genders. Female respondents exhibited moderate predictive validity for productivity with a Q2 of 0.239, indicating limited but meaningful explanatory capacity. Male respondents displayed notably higher predictive relevance (Q2 = 0.474), suggesting that the model’s constructs resonate more powerfully with male performance metrics.
Parallel trends emerged in teamwork, where predictive relevance was low for females (Q2 = 0.192) and moderate for males (Q2 = 0.278). These predictive discrepancies underscore that emotional intelligence, teamwork, and productivity interplay more effectively for men in this developing economy context, inviting further research into socio-cultural or organizational factors driving these gender variances.
Collectively, the study pioneers a comprehensive framework for dissecting emotional intelligence’s cascading effects on teamwork and productivity, framed through the lens of gender. The implications are profound for public sector management, emphasizing the necessity of fostering emotional competencies and collaborative environments while giving due regard to gender-specific dynamics.
Policymakers and organizational leaders seeking to elevate productivity in resource-constrained settings can harness these insights to tailor interventions—such as emotional intelligence training programs, gender-sensitive team-building strategies, and nuanced managerial practices—aiming to harness the full potential of diverse workforce demographics.
Future research is poised to expand on these foundations by integrating additional psychosocial variables, longitudinal designs, and cross-cultural validations to deepen our grasp of workplace productivity ecosystems. Indeed, this study’ definitive articulation of gender’s complex moderation in emotional and collaborative domains marks a significant leap forward in socio-organizational science.
As developing economies grapple with escalating demands for efficiency and innovation, such evidence-based prescriptions offer a beacon for holistic human capital development, melding psychological acumen with operational imperatives to achieve sustainable organizational performance gains.
Subject of Research: Emotional intelligence, teamwork, productivity, and gender dynamics in public sector workers within a developing economy.
Article Title: Emotional intelligence and employee productivity in a developing economy: analysing the moderating and mediating effect of gender and teamwork.
Article References:
Amissah-Wilson, J., Segbenya, M. Emotional intelligence and employee productivity in a developing economy: analysing the moderating and mediating effect of gender and teamwork.
Humanit Soc Sci Commun 12, 1645 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-025-05255-3
Image Credits: AI Generated
