The Mediating Effect of Self-efficacy in the Relationship Between Emotional Intelligence and Job Satisfaction of Skin Care Office Workers in China

This study aimed to examine the relationship between emotional intelligence and job satisfaction among employees working in skin care clinics in China and to empirically verify the mediating effect of self-efficacy in this relationship. A survey was conducted with 257 skin care clinic employees in China, and the collected data were analyzed using SPSS 25.0 through frequency analysis, exploratory factor analysis, reliability analysis, correlation analysis, and regression analysis. The results of the study were as follows. First, the sub-factors of emotional intelligence—understanding others’ emotions, understanding one’s own emotions, and emotion regulation—had significant positive effects on self-efficacy. Second, all sub-factors of emotional intelligence had significant positive effects on job satisfaction, with understanding one’s own emotions showing the strongest influence. Third, self-efficacy was found to have a significant positive effect on job satisfaction. Fourth, self-efficacy partially mediated the relationship between emotional intelligence (understanding others’ emotions, understanding one’s own emotions, and emotion regulation) and job satisfaction. These findings suggest that enhancing both emotional intelligence and self-efficacy is essential for improving job satisfaction among skin care clinic employees in China. This study provides empirical evidence on the structural relationships among emotional intelligence, self-efficacy, and job satisfaction in the Chinese skin care industry, and it offers meaningful implications for human resource management strategies in service-oriented industries.