Emotional Intelligence and Organisational Ethical Climate in Collective Communities : A Study in a Borneo-Malaysian Public Service Organisation.

Mai S., Ishak and Ross Azura, Zahit (2010) Emotional Intelligence and Organisational Ethical Climate in Collective Communities : A Study in a Borneo-Malaysian Public Service Organisation. Eubios Journal of Asian and International Bioethics, 20 (6). p. 246. ISSN 1173-2571

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Abstract

The paper explores the role of emotional intelligence in nine (work) ethical climate types (selfinterest, company profit, efficiency, friendship, team interest, social responsibility, personal morality, company rules and procedures, and laws and professional codes). Schutteʼs Self-Report Emotional intelligence Inventory (SSRI) and Victor & Cullenʼs Work Ethical Climate Questionnaire (ECQ) were administered to 63 employees in 2 service-oriented departments in a public service organization in Borneo Malaysia. Findings were described in Schutte 4 dimensions of emotional intelligence and Victor & Cullen typology of ethical climate. EQ was found to be instrumental in matters that require ethical judgement at individual and organizational loci of analysis, where respondents who reflected better emotional intelligence expressed stronger awareness of ethical elements at individual level (lacks of self interest, sense of friendship, personal moral emphasis) and organizational level (importance of company profit, team spirit, and rules & procedures). It was also found emotional intelligence largely influenced judgement at egoism-based (lacks self interest, company profit) and benevolence-based (friendship and team spirit) work ethics decisions. EQ was however not found to play any role in the moral judgement of ethical matters at the universal level of values or those that involve principled criterions. The findings suggest that emotional intelligence competence, particularly the skills of perceiving and recognising emotions of self and othersʼ, is instrumental for work ethics to be fully embraced in this particular Borneo organisation. Explanation on what could account for this nature in the context of the developing Borneo organisation is provided in this paper.

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