IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v10y2018i10p3422-d172021.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Personality Traits and Positive Resources of Workers for Sustainable Development: Is Emotional Intelligence a Mediator for Optimism and Hope?

Author

Listed:
  • Annamaria Di Fabio

    (Department of Education and Psychology (Psychology Section), University of Florence, Via di San Salvi, 12, Complesso di San Salvi, Padiglione 26, 50135 Firenze, Italy)

  • Letizia Palazzeschi

    (Department of Education and Psychology (Psychology Section), University of Florence, Via di San Salvi, 12, Complesso di San Salvi, Padiglione 26, 50135 Firenze, Italy)

  • Ornella Bucci

    (Department of Education and Psychology (Psychology Section), University of Florence, Via di San Salvi, 12, Complesso di San Salvi, Padiglione 26, 50135 Firenze, Italy)

  • Andrea Guazzini

    (Department of Education and Psychology (Psychology Section), University of Florence, Via di San Salvi, 12, Complesso di San Salvi, Padiglione 26, 50135 Firenze, Italy)

  • Chiara Burgassi

    (Department of Education and Psychology (Psychology Section), University of Florence, Via di San Salvi, 12, Complesso di San Salvi, Padiglione 26, 50135 Firenze, Italy)

  • Eleonora Pesce

    (Department of Education and Psychology (Psychology Section), University of Florence, Via di San Salvi, 12, Complesso di San Salvi, Padiglione 26, 50135 Firenze, Italy)

Abstract

The 21st century is characterized by unpredictable and changing environments that require individuals and organizations to adapt to these challenges and prepare for continuous transitions in the work environment. Optimism and hope are positive resources that are key factors in navigating this post-modern work scenario. Emotional intelligence can be considered as another important variable in this context and furthermore, research has shown it can be increased through specific training. The aim of the present study is to examine the contribution of emotional intelligence in mediating the relationship between personality traits and both optimism and hope. The Big Five Questionnaire (BFQ), the Trait Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire (TEIQue-SF), the Life Orientation Test Revised (LOT-R), and the Hope Scale (HS) were administered to 201 Italian workers. Correlations among variables were calculated and mediation analyses were performed. The results showed that the relationships between personality traits and both optimism and hope are mediated by emotional intelligence. In particular, the contribution of emotional stability, agreeableness, and extraversion on optimism was mediated by emotional intelligence; the contribution of extraversion, emotional stability, and conscientiousness on hope was mediated by emotional intelligence. These results open new possibilities for research and interventions to enhance the personal resources of workers in the fluid scenario of the 21st century by promoting optimism and hope that are facilitated by emotional intelligence in the perspective of enhancing psychological aspects of sustainability and sustainable development.

Suggested Citation

  • Annamaria Di Fabio & Letizia Palazzeschi & Ornella Bucci & Andrea Guazzini & Chiara Burgassi & Eleonora Pesce, 2018. "Personality Traits and Positive Resources of Workers for Sustainable Development: Is Emotional Intelligence a Mediator for Optimism and Hope?," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(10), pages 1-14, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:10:y:2018:i:10:p:3422-:d:172021
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/10/10/3422/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/10/10/3422/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. José Augusto-Landa & Manuel Pulido-Martos & Esther Lopez-Zafra, 2011. "Does Perceived Emotional Intelligence and Optimism/pessimism Predict Psychological Well-being?," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 12(3), pages 463-474, June.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Ataullah Kiani & Jingjiang Liu & Usman Ghani & Anastasia Popelnukha, 2020. "Impact of Future Time Perspective on Entrepreneurial Career Intention for Individual Sustainable Career Development: The Roles of Learning Orientation and Entrepreneurial Passion," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(9), pages 1-18, May.
    2. Małgorzata Baran & Monika Kłos & Monika Chodorek & Karolina Marchlewska-Patyk, 2022. "The Resilient Smart City Model–Proposal for Polish Cities," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(5), pages 1-23, March.
    3. Faiq Aziz & Ahmad Aizuddin Md Rami & Zeinab Zaremohzzabieh & Seyedali Ahrari, 2021. "Effects of Emotions and Ethics on Pro-Environmental Behavior of University Employees: A Model Based on the Theory of Planned Behavior," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(13), pages 1-17, June.
    4. Antonino Callea & Dalila De Rosa & Giovanni Ferri & Francesca Lipari & Marco Costanzi, 2019. "Are More Intelligent People Happier? Emotional Intelligence as Mediator between Need for Relatedness, Happiness and Flourishing," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(4), pages 1-12, February.
    5. Lyuci Zhang & Samsilah Roslan & Zeinab Zaremohzzabieh & Yuqin Jiang & Sumei Wu & Ye Chen, 2022. "Perceived Stress, Social Support, Emotional Intelligence, and Post-Stress Growth among Chinese Left-Behind Children: A Moderated Mediation Model," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(3), pages 1-13, February.
    6. Yunlong Zhang & Asif Mehmood Rana & Hasnain Bashir & Ifraz Adeel & Shahid Khokhar & Jingyuan Ding, 2023. "Can University Students’ Psychological Resources Stimulate the Relationship between Entrepreneurial Optimism and Green Entrepreneurial Intentions? Moderating Role of Sustainability Orientation," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(8), pages 1-14, April.
    7. Yi-Te Chiang & Wei-Ta Fang & Ulas Kaplan & Eric Ng, 2019. "Locus of Control: The Mediation Effect between Emotional Stability and Pro-Environmental Behavior," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(3), pages 1-14, February.
    8. Emily A. Paskewitz, 2021. "Exploring the Impact of Emotional Intelligence on Family Farm Member Conflict Experiences," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(15), pages 1-18, July.
    9. Alan C. Logan & Susan H. Berman & Brian M. Berman & Susan L. Prescott, 2020. "Project Earthrise: Inspiring Creativity, Kindness and Imagination in Planetary Health," Challenges, MDPI, vol. 11(2), pages 1-23, September.
    10. Małgorzata Szcześniak & Klaudia Strochalska, 2019. "Temperament and Sense of Coherence: Emotional Intelligence as a Mediator," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(1), pages 1-12, December.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Lenka Mynaříková & Vít Pošta, 2023. "The Effect of Consumer Confidence and Subjective Well-being on Consumers’ Spending Behavior," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 24(2), pages 429-453, February.
    2. José Martín-Albo & Andrés Lombas & Teresa Jiménez & Sonsoles Valdivia-Salas & Juan Núñez & Jaime León, 2015. "The Mediating Role of Relatedness Between Repair and Loneliness: A Preliminary Model in High School Students," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 16(5), pages 1131-1148, October.
    3. Iraida Delhom & Margarita Gutierrez & Teresa Mayordomo & Juan Carlos Melendez, 2018. "Does Emotional Intelligence Predict Depressed Mood? A Structural Equation Model with Elderly People," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 19(6), pages 1713-1726, August.
    4. Mojca Svetek & Mateja Drnovsek, 2022. "Exploring the Effects of Types of Early-Stage Entrepreneurial Activity on Subjective Well-Being," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 23(1), pages 149-170, January.
    5. Cara Jonker & Eileen Koekemoer & Jan Nel, 2015. "Exploring a Positive SWB Model in a Sample of University Students in South Africa," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 121(3), pages 815-832, April.
    6. Ana Blasco-Belled & Radosław Rogoza & Cristina Torrelles-Nadal & Carles Alsinet, 2020. "Emotional Intelligence Structure and Its Relationship with Life Satisfaction and Happiness: New Findings from the Bifactor Model," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 21(6), pages 2031-2049, August.
    7. Hannes Zacher & Bernard McKenna & David Rooney, 2013. "Effects of Self-Reported Wisdom on Happiness: Not Much More Than Emotional Intelligence?," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 14(6), pages 1697-1716, December.
    8. Mina Jyung & Sung-Ha Lee & Incheol Choi, 2024. "Unraveling the Most Important Predictors of Eudaimonic and Hedonic Well-Being in Korean Adults: A Machine Learning Approach," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 25(7), pages 1-22, October.
    9. Marit Rebane & Heili Hein & Aaro Hazak, 2017. "Does flexible work make R&D employees happier?," TUT Economic Research Series 23, Department of Finance and Economics, Tallinn University of Technology.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:10:y:2018:i:10:p:3422-:d:172021. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.