Does cultural economics affect country’s competitiveness?

Abstract

Emotional intelligence (EI) has emerged as a pivotal construct in organizational psychology, yet its simultaneous influence on leadership effectiveness and employee retention within a unified mixed-methods framework remains underexplored. This study examined the mechanisms through which leader EI shapes employee retention intentions across multiple sectors, integrating structural equation modeling (SEM), mediation analysis, and qualitative thematic analysis. A total of 412 employees and their supervisors across corporate, healthcare, technology, and educational settings participated in the quantitative phase, complemented by 42 semi-structured interviews with HR managers and team leaders in the qualitative phase. Results from SEM indicated that leader EI significantly predicted employee retention (β = .61, p < .001), fully mediated by leadership effectiveness (indirect effect = .342), organizational climate (indirect effect = .287), and job satisfaction (indirect effect = .214). Moderation analysis revealed that organizational support amplified the EI–retention relationship (β = .19, p = .003, ΔR² = .037). Qualitatively, five core themes emerged: emotional support and psychological safety, communication and transparency, conflict resolution and fairness, recognition and motivational climate, and adaptive leadership style. Findings advance theory by proposing an integrated EI–Leadership–Retention model and offer practical implications for talent management and leadership development programs.

Keyword : emotional intelligence, leadership effectiveness, employee retention, structural equation modeling, mixed methods, organizational climate, job satisfaction