Emotional intelligence and marketing effectiveness

Abstract

Purpose

While much empirical work has centered on marketing effectiveness, the generalizability of its relationship to emotional intelligence in the Nigerian context has been under‐researched. The purpose of this paper is to assess the impact of emotional intelligence on the marketing effectiveness of the organization.

Design/methodology/approach

A 31‐item survey questionnaire is developed and 108 corporate organizations in Nigeria are selected from the 2007 edition of the Nigerian Stock Exchange Gazette as a sample for this study. Hand delivery survey is conducted from key informants in the organizations. Returned instruments are analyzed using non‐parametric correlation through the use of the Statistical Package for Social Sciences.

Findings

The results of the study validate the instruments on emotional intelligence and the earlier instruments for marketing effectiveness and find a strong association between emotional intelligence and marketing effectiveness of corporate organizations in the Nigerian context. The main finding is that emotional intelligence leads to marketing effectiveness in corporate organizations in Nigeria.

Practical implications

The implications of the results are clear for scholars and managers. For managers, the paper has implications for the investigation of the link between emotional intelligence and marketing effectiveness of corporate organizations in Nigeria. In the first place, the paper provides a direct test of the applicability of a western paradigm to the Nigerian economic system different from other cultures.

Originality/value

The paper significantly refines the body of knowledge concerning the impact of emotional intelligence on marketing effectiveness in the Nigerian context. It will, without doubt, contribute to the body of existing literature on emotional intelligence and marketing effectiveness.

Citation

Gladson Nwokah, N. and Ahiauzu, A.I. (2009), "Emotional intelligence and marketing effectiveness", Marketing Intelligence & Planning, Vol. 27 No. 7, pp. 864-881. https://doi.org/10.1108/02634500911000199