Assessing emotional intelligence among agricultural scientist of Bihar Agricultural University, Sabour: A gender-based analysis

Introduction

Emotional intelligence (EI) has emerged as an important area of research in the fields of human development, psychology and education, as its influence individuals' abilities to perceive, understand, regulate and manage emotions in day-to-day life situations (Konthoujam et al., 2025) [1] . Goleman (1995) [2] argued that EI is a key factor contributing to professional and personal success. His argument was built on the fact that IQ explains only 20% of the success in life, whereas the rest 80% could attributed to EI. Thus, in contrast to general intelligence, EI is dynamic and supports the development of self-regulation, motivation, empathy and interpersonal skills, all of which are essential for personal growth and social adaptation (Salovey et al., 1990; Goleman, 1995) [3,2] . So, now we can define Emotional intelligence is the ability to understand, use and manage your own emotions in positive ways to relieve stress, communicate effectively, empathize with others, overcome challenges and defuse conflict (Segal et al., 2026) [4] . Scientist in agricultural universities play a crucial role in the development of the agricultural sector and the socio-economic progress of a nation (Kassim et al., 2016) [5] . They perform multiple functions, including conducting research to address agricultural challenges, developing and disseminating innovative technologies, guiding students and researchers, and advancing scientific knowledge (Awang et al., 2010) [6] . They also provide technical expertise and consultancy to farmers, government agencies, industries, and other stakeholders. Given these responsibilities, scientists are required to manage their emotions, interpersonal relationships, stress and workplace challenges. All these jobs involve specific tasks, and some depend on each other for their achievement. The achievement of these jobs tends to build tension and pressure on staff (Olatoye et al., 2025). However, as tension and pressure build up, employees who are not emotionally intelligent enough to control their feelings may exhibit aggressive reactions, which may lead to conflict and create a tense at working atmosphere, affecting their work life (Solanki, 2019) [7] . Therefore, this study aims to assess the level of Emotional Intelligence among the scientist of Bihar agricultural University, Sabour Bhagalpur (Bihar) and examine difference between male and female groups contributing to more holistic and adaptive agricultural profession. The findings are expected to contribute valuable insights for faculty development and institutional improvement.

Objectives of the study

To assess the current Emotional Intelligence levels of Agricultural Scientist.

To compare Emotional Intelligence level between male and female Scientist.

Materials and methods

The study was conducted in six constituent colleges of Bihar Agricultural University which were purposively selected for the study. The total population comprised of 287 faculty members across the six colleges. A proportionate stratified random sampling technique was employed to select a sample of 140 respondents, with each college treated as a separate stratum and respondents selected in proportion to the respective college faculty strength. The present study employed an ex-post facto research design. Primary data were collected through a well-structured questionnaire administered using Google Forms, covering the respondents' socioeconomic characteristics and emotional intelligence. The collected data were analyzed using both descriptive and inferential statistical techniques, including frequency, percentage, mean, standard deviation. The data were analyzed using IBM SPSS version 23 and Microsoft Excel 2021.

Independent variables

Emotional intelligence: In present study emotional intelligence level of respondents was measured by adapting emotional intelligence scale developed by Goleman (1995) [2] . A set of 50-items statements mea-sured on a 5-point Likert type scale of Strongly Agree (5), Agree (4), undecided (3), Disagree (2), Strongly Disagree (1) was be used. For negatively word statement, reverse scoring was applied. Respondents were categorized into three groups viz., Low, medium and High based on their scores, using cumulative square root frequency method.

Result and discussion

Table 2 shows that most of the male (74.29%) and Female (70.00%) Scientist were in 35-50 years age group, followed by < 35 years male (18.57%) and Female (24.29%) respectively. This indicates that most of the Scientist were within the youth age and people under this are active and economically productive (Adeogun et al., 2016) [8] . The majority of the male (70%) and Female (74.29%) were married while 24.29% male and 18.57% female respondents were single. Marriage may be good for the any organisation or work place as it comes with a sense of responsibilities and accountabilities (Adebayo et al., 2020) [9] . In addition, the findings revealed that the majority of both male (57.14%) and female (64.28%) respondents having the designation of Associate Professor, followed by Professor, 17.14% of male and 14.20% of female respondents respectively. The majority of Associate Professors in the 35-50 years age group may be due to the career progression and experience requirements for attaining the position. These findings are consistent with those reported by Abu-Hamour (2013) [10] . The result as shown in table 2 conclude that most male (84.29%) and female (81.43%) respondent were having Doctorate degree qualification followed by post-doctorate qualification (7.14%) of male and (12.86%) of female. The finding may be due to the eligibility criteria prescribed by the University Grants Commission (UGC), which requires a Ph.D. for appointment and promotion to the positions of Associate Professor and Professor (UGC, 2018) [11] . The result of the study is in accordance with study of Olatoye et al., 2025. This implies that the university faculty members were Well-qualified, possessing the knowledge, skills and experience required to perform their assigned tasks effectively and the minimum qualification for the post of Associate Professor and Professor in is Doctorate degree. Regarding years of experience, as shown in Table 2, majority of male (55.7%) and Female (58.6) of the respondents have been working in the university for about 10-20 years, followed by 25.7% of male and 24.3% of the female have been working in the university for about less then 10 years. The result is In line with the study of Djilali and Saleh, 2024. This showed that there are young faculty members have the ability and capability to work for a long time before reaching their retirement age (Olatoye et al., 2025). However, result in the table 2 also revealed that the approximate half of the both male (50%) and female (55.71%) belonged to joint and nuclear family. Further, finding shows that majority of male (65.71%) and female (61.43%) Scientist having Rural background followed by 34.29% of male and 38.57% of female Scientist belonged to rural area. Theses finding are support by report of PIB, 2023 that 65% of the country's population lives in the rural areas and 47% of the population is dependent on agriculture for livelihood. In addition, the findings revealed that great proportion of the male (84.3%) and Female (91.4%) respondents earn between Rs 12-20 lakh per annum. This suggests that the annual income of Scientist is enough to support and maintain their work life. Thus, a relatively high salary motivates respondents, increases their job performance and improves their quality of life (Oyeyinka et al., 2017) [12] . The level of emotional intelligence among Scientist of Bihar Agricultural University is presented in Table 2. Among the 70 male respondents, 29 (41%) had a medium level of emotional intelligence, followed by 23 (33%) with a high level and 18 (26%) with a low level. Thus, the majority of male respondents had a medium level of emotional intelligence. Similarly, out of 70 female respondents, 32 (46%) had a medium level of emotional intelligence, followed by 20 (28%) with a low level and 18 (26%) with a high level. Overall, the findings suggest that most of both male and female respondents belonged to the medium emotional intelligence category, suggesting a moderate level of emotional intelligence among the faculty members. This indicates that female respondents are more emotionally intelligent compared to male. These findings are consistent with previous research, which reported that male and female scientists had medium levels of emotional intelligence (Nehayadav, [14,15,13,16] . Similarly, Kumar (2026) [17] reported that faculty members at the University of Bihar had moderate to high levels of emotional intelligence. However, the present find-ings are incongruent with finding of Kaloun et al. (2024) [18] , Li et al. (2023) [19] and Orhan (2026) [20] who reported that teachers or faculty members demonstrated high levels of emotional intelligence. The majority of a medium level of emotional intelligence indicates that most respondents are still in the process of developing their emotional understanding and regulation abilities. Further, the respondents with high emotional intelligence indicate that some individuals have developed stronger emotional intelligence. Meanwhile, the respondents with low emotional intelligence highlight the need for interventions such as training, counselling to enhance emotional intelligence levels among scientist (Gaurav et al., 2026) [21] .

Level of emotional intelligence

Emotional intelligence level between male and female scientist

Study hypothesis H 0 -There is no significant difference in the Emotional Intelligence level between male and female scientist. H 1 -There is significant difference in the Emotional Intelligence level between male and female scientist. A Mann-Whitney U test was employed to compare emotional intelligence (EI) between male and female respondents. The results (Table 4) showed a no significant difference between the groups (U = 2,582.50, Z = 0.552, p = 0.581). The mean rank for females (72.39) was higher than that for male (68.61), indicating that female scientist had higher emotional intelligence than male scientist. So, present study revealed a no statistically significant difference in emotional intelligence (EI) between gender, with female respondents had higher mean rank scores than male respondents. This is in line with Ramesh, 2017 [22] ; Tommasi et al., (2023) and Okubena et al., (2025) [16] who also reported no significant differences in overall EI scores between genders. Abdulkareem (2026) [23] result revealed that there is no statistically significant relationship between gender and emotional intelligence among secondary school teachers in Northcentral Nigeria. This suggests that gender does not correlate with emotional intelligence. The finding of the is in contrast, Khurana et al., (2022) reported significant EI difference between male and female managers. Asmamaw et al. (2023) [24] also reported significantly higher EI among female leaders than males, while D'Amico and Geraci (2022) [25] similarly found that females had greater ability-based EI. The study aimed to assess the level of emotional intelligence among and to examine the differences in emotional intelligence between male and female Scientist. Based on the results of hypothesis testing the null hypothesis was retained. Overall, the majority of both male (41%) and female (46%) respondents had a medium level of emotional intelligence. The findings indicate that emotional intelligence levels were similar between male and female respondent. A Mann-Whitney U test revealed no statistically significant difference in emotional intelligence between male and female faculty members (U = 2,582.50, Z = 0.552, p = 0.581). The mean rank was higher for females (72.39) than males (68.61), indicating comparatively higher emotional intelligence among female scientists.

The present study has some limitation particularly the relatively small sample size 140 and it was confined to only six constituent college of Bihar agricultural university in Bihar, which may restrict the generalizability of the findings to other institutional contexts. Other, limita tion is self-reported measures were used. Individuals may have answered inaccurately or had social desirability bias. Further studies can be carried out in other than agricultural university with large sample size and other neighbouring state of Bihar. Based on the findings, organizations should integrate emotional intelligence (EI) into faculty development, orientation, recruitment and in-service training programmes to strengthen scientist emotional competencies. Periodic EI assessments may be conducted to identify training needs and support the psychological well-being of scientist to interact effectively with students, farmers, and other stakeholders.

Acknowledgement

AcknowledgementThe author sincerely expresses gratitude to the Guide and Advisory committee and second author of this paper for their valuable suggestions and constructive comments, which greatly helped improve the quality of this manuscript. The author also gratefully to the Department of Agricultural Extension Education, Bihar Agricultural University, Sabour, for providing the research grant and necessary support for conducting this study.

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