The Relationship between Senior Healthcare Executives' Emotional Intelligence and Employee Satisfaction

The Relationship between Senior Healthcare Executives’ Emotional Intelligence and Employee Satisfaction by Carmen McDonald Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Health Services Walden University October 2015 Abstract The healthcare industry evolved on March 23, 2010, when the Affordable Care Act (ACA) was signed into law. The general problem prompting the need for this study was that healthcare workers are affected by patient and family anxiety, evolving evidencebased practices and treatments, and regulatory complexities. Outdated managerial skills with leaders lacking emotional intelligence may produce employee dissatisfaction, and satisfied workers may influence the quality of care and patient satisfaction. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between senior healthcare leaders’ EI and employee satisfaction. EI theory was the conceptual foundation for this research. This quantitative study used a survey to collect EI scores from 25 senior healthcare executives using the Mayer-Salovey-Caruso Emotional Intelligence Test (MSCEIT) and employee satisfaction scores from the Press Ganey Employee Voice Solution Survey collected by their organizations. Data were analysed using Pearson correlations, independent sample t tests, and ANOVAs to test the variables of EI and employee satisfaction. Assumptions of the t test and ANOVA were met to ensure the sample size was sufficient. The results of the Pearson correlation indicated that employee satisfaction percentile and score were not related to EI within the sample. No differences were found in EI by age, gender, years of experience, or educational level. The changes in healthcare require focusing on social change as it relates to service behaviors by all individuals who have any impact on the patient-care experience.The healthcare industry evolved on March 23, 2010, when the Affordable Care Act (ACA) was signed into law. The general problem prompting the need for this study was that healthcare workers are affected by patient and family anxiety, evolving evidencebased practices and treatments, and regulatory complexities. Outdated managerial skills with leaders lacking emotional intelligence may produce employee dissatisfaction, and satisfied workers may influence the quality of care and patient satisfaction. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between senior healthcare leaders’ EI and employee satisfaction. EI theory was the conceptual foundation for this research. This quantitative study used a survey to collect EI scores from 25 senior healthcare executives using the Mayer-Salovey-Caruso Emotional Intelligence Test (MSCEIT) and employee satisfaction scores from the Press Ganey Employee Voice Solution Survey collected by their organizations. Data were analysed using Pearson correlations, independent sample t tests, and ANOVAs to test the variables of EI and employee satisfaction. Assumptions of the t test and ANOVA were met to ensure the sample size was sufficient. The results of the Pearson correlation indicated that employee satisfaction percentile and score were not related to EI within the sample. No differences were found in EI by age, gender, years of experience, or educational level. The changes in healthcare require focusing on social change as it relates to service behaviors by all individuals who have any impact on the patient-care experience. The Relationship between Senior Healthcare Executives’ Emotional Intelligence and Employee Satisfaction by Carmen McDonald Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Health Services Walden University October 2015 Acknowledgments To my husband, Tim, who has never wavered in his support and understanding in this arduous journey. You have always known exactly what to say to keep me motivated to continue and you never lost faith in me, even when I thought I couldn’t hold on another second. The absolute truth is that I could have never accomplished this without you always being by my side. To my daughter, Meghan, who endured my absenteeism, variable moods, and impatience during all of the years of my continued education. It has been empowering to watch you conquer barriers and obstacles during your young life. You inspire me more than you likely imagine, and I hope you will always believe in yourself as much as I love and believe in you. Continue to be brilliant in your academic journey and in life. To Dr. Eric Oestmann and Dr. Ronald Hudak, thank you for your expertise and encouragement through the proposal and dissertation process. Your willingness to be part of my committee and all the constructive feedback from reviewing my work has been truly valuable to me, and I believe I am a better writer for it. Your academic and professional accomplishments have inspired me to be at least close to as successful as each of you. To MHS Systems for permission to use the MSCEIT online assessment tool, and to Dr. Dennis Kaldenberg, from Press Ganey Associates, for your support in granting me permission to use the Press Ganey Employee Voice survey tool. To Kiwanis Burr, Ph.D. for your amazing expertise and advisement with my statistical analysis. I have learned so much from you and will always be grateful.