EFFECT OF EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE ON JOB STRESS IN THE PRESIDENTIAL AMNESTY PROGRAMME, ABUJA

Abstract

A lot of mental issues are seen and experienced from workplaces due to the high level of workrelated pressures and lack of abilities to handle them with efficiency. These activities could be chunks of mails to go through and reply, phone calls, meetings, rescheduled meetings, requests from colleagues to give a helping hand, and so on. This could lead to job stress and a drop in the performance of employees, depreciation in innovativeness, aggressive behaviour towards colleagues and clients at times. The study thus investigates the effect of emotional intelligence on job stress with a case of Presidential amnesty programme, Abuja. The study adopted a survey research design and structured questionnaires were used. Descriptive statistics and t-statistics were used. Findings from the study revealed that self-awareness has a positive and significant effect on job stress in the Presidential Amnesty programme, Abuja; while self-management has a positive and significant effect on job stress in the Presidential Amnesty programme, Abuja. Based on these findings, the study suggests that there is a need for management to help its staff to improve on their self-awareness in order to reduce their job stress. Management needs to focus on developing workers to have strong self-awareness so that they can be realistic in whatever choices they make and in doing their work. The study also recommends that the management should optimize staff's self-management abilities if they are to reduce their job stress which will then lead to the attainment of overall organizational objectives.