AN EVALUATION OF THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE AND PERFORMANCE OF RETAIL STORES IN SOUTH EAST, NIGERIA

Abstract

The study evaluated the relationship between emotional intelligence and performance of retail stores in South East Nigeria. The specific objectives include to: evaluate the degree of relationship between self-management and efficiency and assess the degree of relationship between social awareness and sales turnover of retail stores in South East Nigeria. A survey design was adopted for the study. The population of study was 1,460 staff. The sample size of 314 was determined and used in the study. Instrument used for data collection was the questionnaire. Out of the three hundred and fourteen (314) copies of the questionnaire distributed, two hundred and seventy-eight (278) copies were returned while thirty-six (36) copies of the questionnaire were not returned. Pearson correlation coefficient, (r) was used to test the hypotheses, determine the nature, and strength of the research variables. The findings revealed that: there is significant positive relationship between self-management and efficiency of retail stores in South East Nigeria, r(95, n = 278) = .406 <.820, p. < .05. and that there is significant positive relationship between social awareness and sales turnover of retail stores in South East Nigeria, r(95, n = 278) = .402 <.879, p. < .05. The study concluded that self-management and social awareness has significant positive relationship with efficiency and sales turnover of retail stores in South East Nigeria. The study recommended among others that there is need for staff and management of retail stores to regulate their emotions and ensure that the emotions of others do not affect the performance of the organization