Emotional Intelligence is increasingly being recognized as an essential in the workforce. It has its benefits – a proven positive impact on performance and an exponential difference in results when compared with the performance of low EQ individuals (3 times faster software development, 18% more sales, 20 times more productivity). There are different suggestions in the academic circuit on improving the Emotional Quotient (EQ) or Emotional Intelligence (EI). But how can one know whether the Emotional Intelligence of people is improving or has regressed?
As important it is to integrate initiatives which enhance the emotional intelligence of the workforce, it is equally important to measure it. What gets measured; gets done. Measuring sets a baseline, against which improvements or regressions can be determined. So, how to measure it? A quick Google search yields multiple tools to measure EI – but which one to use? In this article, we will discuss a recommended, trusted and credible emotional intelligence measurement tool.
The Wong and Law Emotional Intelligence Scale uses a 16-item scale which has been specifically designed for use in organizations. Measuring sets a baseline, against which improvements or regressions can be determined
What is the Wong and Law Emotional Intelligence Scale?
Wong and Law Emotional Intelligence Scale (WLEIS) is a renowned EQ measurement scale in organizational psychology. This was theorized and designed by Chi-Sum Wong and Kenneth S. Law in their paper, “The effects of leader and follower Emotional Intelligence on performance and attitude: An exploratory study.” The research’s hypothesis was that EI positively affects job performance and productivity. And to measure it, they developed a scale called the WLEIS.
Why the Wong and Law Emotional Intelligence Scale?
The reasons why WLEIS is extremely popular and researchers prefer to use it is because:
How to use the Wong and Law Emotional Intelligence Scale?
The Wong and Law Emotional Intelligence Scale is a self-report EI scale – it has 16 statements.
According to the research, Emotional Intelligence consists of the following four dimensions:
- Self-Emotional Appraisal (SEA): An individual’s ability to understand and assessment of their deep emotions and be able to express those emotions naturally
- Others’ Emotional Appraisal (OEA): The ability to perceive and understand the emotions of others around them
- Regulation of Emotion (ROE): People’s ability to regulate their emotions, which enables a more rapid recovery from psychological distress
- Use of Emotion (UOE): The ability of individuals to direct their emotions towards constructive activities and personal performance
WLEIS has been tested and retested in different cultures and for different demographics. The reliability of this Emotional Intelligence scale has been measured at 0.88.
Under all these dimensions, following are the statements that are administered on a 7 point Likert scale (from 1: strongly disagree, to 7: strongly agree). The order is randomly chosen to reduce the chances of any bias in the respondent’s answers.
Self-Emotional Appraisal (SEA):
- Has a good sense of why he/she has certain feelings most of the time
- Has a good understanding of his/her own emotions
- Really understands what he/she feels
- Always knows whether or not he/she is happy
Others’ Emotional Appraisal (OEA):
- Always knows his/her friends’ emotions from their behavior
- Is a good observer of others’ emotions
- Is sensitive to the feelings and emotions of others
- Has a good understanding of the emotions of people around him/her
Use of Emotion (UOE):
- Always sets goals for himself/herself and then tries his/her best to achieve them
- Always tells himself/herself he/she is a competent person
- Is a self-motivated person
- He/she would always encourage himself/herself to try his/her best
Regulation of Emotion (ROE):
- Is able to control his/her temper and handle difficulties rationally
- Is quite capable of controlling his/her own emotions
- He/she can always calm down quickly when he/she is very angry
- Has good control of his/her own emotions
First, do a sample study using the Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin method to arrive at a value of KMO (Examining The Psychometric Properties Of The Wong And Law Emotional Intelligence Scale (WLEIS) by Wan Shahrazad Wan Sulaiman & Mohd Zainuddin Mohd Noor). A KMO value above 0.60 is considered acceptable and values close to 1 are considered satisfactory results. Follow it up by using a four-factor analysis as suggested by Wong and Law in their paper. The results will allow you to quantify and measure the emotional quotient of the respondents.
Several studies have proven the scale to be reliable. A particular study records its reliability at 0.88. Whether through the WLEIS or any other reliable Emotional Intelligence measurement scale, organizations need to add measurement of the Emotional Quotient to their larger talent agenda. This is one particular life skill that can help an individual excel in the various facets of both their professional and personal lives.