Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2014 Dec 16:5:1447.
doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2014.01447. eCollection 2014.

Long term impact of emotional, social and cognitive intelligence competencies and GMAT on career and life satisfaction and career success

Emily Amdurer  1 , Richard E Boyatzis  2 , Argun Saatcioglu  3 , Melvin L Smith  2 , Scott N Taylor  4
Affiliations

Long term impact of emotional, social and cognitive intelligence competencies and GMAT on career and life satisfaction and career success

Emily Amdurer et al. Front Psychol. .

Abstract

Career scholars have called for a broader definition of career success by inviting greater exploration of its antecedents. While success in various jobs has been predicted by intelligence and in other studies by competencies, especially in management, long term impact of having intelligence and using competencies has not been examined. Even in collegiate outcome studies, few have examined the longer term impact on graduates' careers or lives. This study assesses the impact of demonstrated emotional, social, and cognitive intelligence competencies assessed at graduation and g measured through GMAT at entry from an MBA program on career and life satisfaction, and career success assessed 5 to 19 years after graduation. Using behavioral measures of competencies (i.e., as assessed by others), we found that emotional intelligence competencies predict career satisfaction and success. Adaptability had a positive impact, but influence had the opposite effect on these career measures and life satisfaction. Life satisfaction was negatively affected by achievement orientation and positively affected by teamwork. Current salary, length of marriage, and being younger at time of graduation positively affect all three measures of life and career satisfaction and career success. GMAT (as a measure of g) predicted life satisfaction and career success to a slight but significant degree in the final model analyzed. Meanwhile, being female and number of children positively affected life satisfaction but cognitive intelligence competencies negatively affected it, and in particular demonstrated systems thinking was negative.

Keywords: Emotional Intelligence; Intelligence; career satisfaction; competencies; life satisfaction.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
The model being tested.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Summary of significant findings from any of the three models tested.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Alexander C. N., Druker S. M., Langer E. J. (1990). Introduction: major issues in the exploration of adult growth, in Higher Stages of Human Development, eds Alexander C. N., Langer E. J. (New York, NY: Oxford University Press; ), 3–34.
    1. Ashkanasy N. M., Daus C. S. (2005). Rumors of the death of emotional intelligence in organizational behavior are vastly exaggerated. J. Organ. Behav. 26, 441–452 10.1002/job.320 - DOI
    1. Batista J. M., Boyatzis R. E., Gerli F., Taylor S. N. (2012). Outcome assessment in management education, in Personal Development Workshop Conducted at the Annual Meeting of the Academy of Management, Boston, MA, August 2012.
    1. Bennis W. (2010). Comment on “regaining lost relevance.” J. Manage. Inquiry 19, 22–24 10.1177/1056492609350791 - DOI
    1. Boyatzis R. E. (1982). The Competent Manager: A Model for Effective Performance. New York, NY: John Wiley and Sons.

LinkOut - more resources