The Effects of Leader’s Emotional Intelligence on Employees’ Organizational Identification and Turnover Intention: The Mediating Role of Emotional Attention·Emotional Clarity·Emotional Repair

Purpose: Grounded in Social Learning Theory and Social Exchange Theory, this study aims to examine the effects of a leader’s emotional intelligence (EI) on employees’ organizational identification and turnover intention. By focusing on the mediating roles of emotional attention, emotional clarity, and emotional repair, this study seeks to identify the psychological mechanisms through which a leader’s emotional intelligence is associated with positive employee and organizational outcomes.Methods: Data were collected from 315 employees across various industries. The analysis focused on the mediating effects of the three sub-dimensions of the Trait Meta-Mood Scale (TMMS). Statistical analyses were conducted using SPSS and AMOS, and mediating effects were examined using the three-step procedure proposed by Baron and Kenny (1986) within a structural equation modeling framework.Results: The empirical analysis provided support for all 15 hypothesized paths. The results indicated that a leader’s emotional intelligence was significantly associated with the three sub-dimensions of employees’ perceived emotional intelligence. Specifically, the mediating pathways through emotional attention, emotional clarity, and emotional repair were all statistically validated, supporting their mediating roles in the relationship between leader’s emotional intelligence and organizational identification and turnover intention.Conclusion: This study extends the literature by demonstrating that employees’ emotional self-regulation processes constitute an important mechanism linking a leader’s emotional intelligence to organizational outcomes. Among these processes, emotional clarity showed relatively stronger associations with organizational identification and turnover intention, suggesting that employees’ ability to clearly recognize and understand their own emotions may be a particularly important factor in these relationships. From a quality management perspective, the findings suggest that management practices aimed at strengthening leader’s emotional intelligence and emotional clarity may contribute to enhancing soft quality, strengthening organizational identification and cohesion among employees, supporting sustainable human capital, and reducing employee turnover.