Leader emotional intelligence and employee work performance: A moderated mediation model

This study investigated the mechanisms through which leader emotional intelligence (EI) influences employee work performance by exploring the mediating effect of basic psychological needs and the moderating effect of employee EI. We surveyed 239 pairs of leaders and their direct subordinates in various Chinese enterprises and processed the data using structural equation modeling and path analysis. The results showed that leader EI was significantly and positively correlated with employee work performance, and there was also a significant interaction effect of leader EI and employee EI on work performance. Regardless of employees’ EI levels, higher EI in leaders was associated with higher levels of employee work performance through improving employees’ basic psychological needs satisfaction. These findings provide guidance for enhancing personal leadership skills in practical work settings and ultimately achieving the goal of improving both employee work performance and organizational effectiveness.