The bandwidth dilemma applied to trait emotional intelligence: comparing the contribution of emotional intelligence factor with its facets for predicting global job satisfaction

Building upon the relevance of emotional intelligence (EI) in influencing key attitudes at work, the current study aimed to compare the contribution of the trait-EI factor with its specific facets for predicting overall job satisfaction. Relying on a concurrent design, results from a sample of 228 software engineers from a multi-national firm showed that trait-EI global factor remained a significant and non-redundant predictor of this attitudinal criterion, even when the big five are also taken into consideration. Results also revealed that corresponding facets of self-emotions appraisal, other-emotions appraisal, use of emotion, and regulation of emotion, when residualized (i.e., their factor variance is partialed out), do not outperform the contribution of the higher-order trait-EI factor and the big five in the prediction of overall job satisfaction. Theoretical and practical implications of these results are discussed.