Emotional labour strategies and employee performance: the role of emotional intelligence

Purpose The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between emotional labour (EL) strategies and employees' performance by considering the role of emotional intelligence (EI) as a moderator. Design/methodology/approach This study focused on the administrative staff of International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM) who deal with students and guests from different countries. A total of 186 valid questionnaires were gathered from administrative staff selected using random sampling. Structural equation modelling was used to test the hypotheses of this study. Findings The results showed significant relationships of EL strategies with administrative staff performance. Furthermore, moderation analyses revealed that EI moderates the relationships between EL strategies and staff performance. Originality/value The study extends the current research on the effects of EL strategies on work performance and tests the moderating role of EI in these relationships in higher learning institutions. Moreover, it examines the performance of EL strategies and EI in cross-cultural context.