EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE AND THE PERFORMANCE OF SMALL AND MEDIUM SCALE ENTERPRISES (SMES) IN NORTH CENTRAL NIGERIA

ABSTRACT Emotional intelligence holds significant sway over the operational dynamics and effectiveness of any organization. It serves as a cornerstone for fostering harmonious interpersonal relationships, facilitating effective communication, and enhancing overall teamwork within an organizational. The broad objective of the study was to examine the effect of emotional intelligence on performance of SMEs in North Central, Nigeria. The study adopted survey research design. The population of the study consists of 159,704 registered small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in North Central, Nigeria that is registered with Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) as at 2020. The study employed Simple random sampling and Taro Yamen sampling technique was used to determine the sample size of 400 SMEs. Multiple Regression Analysis was used as the data analysis technique, and SPSS version 22 was used to assist. With a tstatistics value of 6.861 and a p-value of (.000), the study found that empathy has a positive and significant impact on the performance of SMEs in North Central, Nigeria. Similarly, self-control was found to have a positive and significant impact with a t-statistics value of (21.120) and a p-value of (.000). The study recommended firms should ensure that in formulating polices, employee empathy should be put into consideration so as to create a sense of belonging for the employee. Employee must ensure a high level of self-control and decorum so as to comply with the firms rules and regulations.

1 28 Jun, 2024

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