The Influence of Emotional Intelligence on Management Performance in an Open and Distance Learning Institution

Abstract

As a large Open University system, Universitas Terbuka (UT) has consistently implemented an effective performance management and reward system to ensure that performance is objectively measured, improvement can be effectively made, and people are fairly rewarded based on performance. This paper addresses the influence of emotional intelligence on management performance in an open and distance learning (ODL) institution. Emotional intelligence is defined as managing feelings so that they are expressed appropriately and effectively, enabling people to work together smoothly toward their common goals. This study aims to investigate the influence of emotional intelligence of top management staff in the 37 UT Regional Offices, in Indonesia. Besides UT’s headquarters in Jakarta, as an ODL institution, UT also has 37 Regional Offices all over Indonesia that are responsible for students’ academic and non-academic services. The participants were therefore all the 37 Heads of Regional Offices of UT. The data was obtained in two ways, namely primary data about emotional intelligence obtained through the administration of a questionnaire and secondary data about performance obtained through the office of the Vice Rector III. The results of the study showed that four elements of emotional intelligence (self-awareness, self-regulation, motivation, and social skills) strongly influenced management performance. One element of emotional intelligence, namely empathy, did not significantly affect management performance. Overall, the results suggested that it is important for an ODL institution to have leaders and employees with high emotional intelligence to achieve the goal effectively.