Interpersonal competencies and managerial performance: the role of emotional intelligence, leadership self-efficacy, self-monitoring and political skill

© 2004 Dr. Assaf SemadarJob performance is influenced by both task and contextual factors. Previous research has found interpersonal facilitation to be an important contributor to contextual and overall job performance, especially for managers. The current study examined four interpersonal competencies, namely, self-monitoring, emotional intelligence, leadership self-efficacy, and political skill, as predictors of managerial performance. Particular attention was given to political skill, a goal-directed activity that aims to achieve organisational success and influence. Data were collected from 136 managers from a large motor manufacturing company using both self- and supervisor-evaluations. Measures of social desirability were also included in order to increase the accuracy of self-reports. Job performance was measured using the organisation’s internal performance appraisals. The results confirmed that political skill was both the strongest predictor of managerial performance, and a differentiating factor between top performers and others. Emotional intelligence was also a significant predictor but it did not explain significant variance in performance when considered with political skill. Leadership self-efficacy and self-monitoring were not predictors of performance. Exploratory analysis showed that positive relationships existed between seniority and both leadership self-efficacy and political skill, and a negative relationship with emotional intelligence. Exploratory analysis also showed associations between specific interpersonal competencies and occupations. Other results challenged the accuracy of self-report measurement in comparison with supervisor reports and pointed to the pivotal role of self-deception — a sub factor of social desirability — in self-report measurement