Emotional Intelligence and Workplace Stress among Afterschool Supervisors in Low-Income Communities

High levels of stress among supervisors can diminish afterschool program quality and negatively affect the learning and development of children and youth. One solution may be training in emotional intelligence. In other fields, high emotional intelligence among leaders was found to mitigate workplace stress and to increase job productivity, job satisfaction, and attainment of positive results. This study helps address the lack of scientific research on the role of emotional intelligence in afterschool supervisors' ability to manage stress at work. In this quantitative correlational study, the author investigated the relationship between the emotional intelligence of afterschool supervisors serving low-income communities in New York City and their perceived workplace stress. The study found a negative correlation--that is, supervisors with higher emotional intelligence tended to have lower workplace stress. The results can help afterschool supervisors and organization leaders understand the importance of emotional intelligence for effective program management.