Emotional Intelligence and Service Quality - ...

Emotional Intelligence and Service Quality - A case study on Healthcare services

Author Name : Dr. Antony Kolenchery

ABSTRACT

The intangible nature of services has always made it difficult for service providers to successfully persuade consumers to act on their purchase intentions. Unlike other services, healthcare is constantly scrutinized by stakeholders because any dissatisfaction can seriously harm the organization's reputation. As a result, businesses are making concerted efforts not only to understand their customers, but also to develop their employees' emotional and self-management skill sets in order to maximize customer satisfaction. Emotional Intelligence (EI) is a powerful tool that helps service providers meet the challenges of a competitive service environment. Examining the impact of emotional intelligence and its relationship to service quality will assist organizations in sharpening their competitive advantage. It has been observed that the rate of utilization of public healthcare services in Kerala is too low, despite the fact that Kerala ranks first in the healthcare index when compared to other states. In this context, a study has been conducted to better understand the levels of service quality and their relationship with service providers' emotional intelligence. The study found a significant gap in service quality as well as a significant positive relationship between service quality, emotional intelligence, and patient satisfaction.

Keywords: Healthcare services, Emotional Intelligence, Service Quality, Service Provider, Patient satisfaction, Under-utilization of Public healthcare, SERVQUAL.