Looking Beyond Biology: Does Psychological Sex-Role Matter More than Biological Sex for Emotional Intelligence? An Indian Perspective

Abstract

Gender-stereotyped organizational expectations compromise outcomes desired from numerically balanced gender representation. Sex-roles allow both men and women to exhibit masculine or feminine behaviors based on their self-construal of “psychological-gender.” Emotional intelligence (EI) is considered “feminine” and rational intelligence “masculine.” So, using Bem sex-role inventory and Emotional Intelligence Appraisal, the current study explored EI in 217 senior Indian managers from masculine/feminine sex-role perspective. There was no difference in EI of men/women. Moreover, EI did not differ in men/women categorized in “same” sex-role. However significant differences emerged across sex-roles with feminine sex-role participants actually scoring significantly lesser than androgynous or masculine sex-role participants although emotional intelligence is considered as a feminine intelligence. Implications of sex-role-driven differences in EI in organizational context are discussed.

Citation

Rupavataram, S.R. (2017), "Looking Beyond Biology: Does Psychological Sex-Role Matter More than Biological Sex for Emotional Intelligence? An Indian Perspective", Emotions and Identity (Research on Emotion in Organizations, Vol. 13), Emerald Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 137-156. https://doi.org/10.1108/S1746-979120170000013008