Veritatis Gaudium: Multidisciplinary Journal of Postgraduate Studies

Occupational stress is a persistent concern in banking because employees must meet demanding targets, respond to customers, and adjust to continuing organizational change. This study examined whether four dimensions of emotional intelligence—self-management, interpersonal emotions, adaptability, and general mood—predict job stress among employees of selected microfinance banks in Abuja Metropolis, Nigeria. A cross-sectional survey design was used. The target population comprised 96 employees across ten microfinance banks; 95 usable questionnaires were analyzed. The instrument was adapted from Mohammed and Nagy (2017) and used a five-point Likert scale. Partial least squares structural equation modeling was conducted with SmartPLS. The measurement checks supported indicator reliability, construct distinctiveness, and acceptable collinearity. All four dimensions had significant negative effects on job stress: self-management (β = −0.34, p < .001), general mood (β = −0.31, p < .001), interpersonal emotions (β = −0.29, p < .001), and adaptability (β = −0.26, p = .002). Together, the predictors explained 48% of the variance in job stress (R² = .48), and the model demonstrated predictive relevance (Q² = .47). The findings indicate that emotional competencies are practical resources for reducing stress in microfinance banking. Banks should prioritize emotional self-regulation training, constructive interpersonal practices, change-readiness support, and employee-wellness programmes. Because the study is cross-sectional and relies on self-reports from one metropolitan area, longitudinal and multi-source research is recommended.

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