THE POWER OF EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE IN MITIGATING THE EFFECT OF PEER POLITICS

The study concludes that Emotional Intelligence (EI) is a vital and strategic competency in modern organizations, particularly in helping employees effectively navigate peer politics. Workplace politics, including favoritism, gossip, informal alliances, and interpersonal conflicts, can negatively affect employee morale, productivity, teamwork, and organizational climate. However, the findings reveal that employees with higher levels of emotional intelligence are better equipped to recognize, understand, and manage these challenges without allowing them to negatively influence their performance or professional relationships. The study highlights that key dimension of emotional intelligence, especially empathy, self-awareness, and emotional regulation, play a significant role in helping employees respond constructively to politically sensitive situations. Emotionally intelligent employees are more likely to maintain composure during conflicts, communicate effectively, understand different perspectives, and build trust among colleagues. As a result, they are less vulnerable to the negative effects of peer politics and are better able to sustain positive workplace interactions. The statistical findings further support this conclusion, indicating a strong positive relationship between emotional intelligence and the ability to manage peer politics. Employees with higher EI demonstrated greater resilience, stronger interpersonal skills, and a higher capacity to remain focused on organizational goals despite political pressures. Among all EI dimensions, empathy emerged as the most influential factor in fostering cooperation, reducing misunderstandings, and promoting healthy workplace relationships. From a Human Resource Management perspective, the findings emphasize the importance of integrating emotional intelligence into recruitment, training, leadership development, and employee engagement initiatives. Organizations that actively promote emotional intelligence can create a more inclusive, collaborative, and supportive work environment where political behavior has a reduced impact on employee well-being and performance. Therefore, investing in the development of emotional intelligence is not only beneficial for individual employees but also contributes to organizational effectiveness, employee satisfaction, and long-term success.    

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