Effect of Emotional Intelligence and Working Environment on the Job Performance of National Police Service Officers in Kakamega County, Kenya

Performance of individual employees contributes to an organization’s overall performance, which begins at the root where character affects the overall organization output. However, in Kenya, limited empirical research has focused on how components of emotional intelligence affect the job performance of National Police Service (NPS) officers, despite reports of performance challenges and emotional strain. The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of emotional intelligence on the job performance of NPS officers in Kakamega County. The study specifically aimed to investigate the effect of self-regulation, examine the effect of duty to care, establish the effect of motivation, identify how social cohesion affects job performance, and determine the moderating role of the working environment. The study adopted Affective Events theory and Vroom’s Expectancy theory. Quantitative multi-design approach employing descriptive survey and correlational designs was used, with Kakamega County as the study area. The target population consisted of 2,400 police officers from both Kenya Police and Administration Police units. Stratified sampling was employed, and a sample of 331 respondents was drawn using simple random sampling. Data was collected through structured questionnaires aligned to the study objectives. Content and construct validity were established through expert review, with an overall average validity score of 0.835, while instrument reliability met acceptable Cronbach’s alpha thresholds of 0.70. Data analysis was conducted using SPSS Version applying both descriptive and inferential statistics including ANOVA, correlation, and multiple regression. The findings indicated that Self-regulation (F=1.970, p>0.05, r=0.083), Duty to care (F=0.145, p>0.05, r=-0.023), Motivation (F=0.145, p>0.05, r=-0.024,) and social cohesion (F=2.167, p>0.05, r=-0.087) each had statistically insignificant effects on job performance. However, the working environment (F=18.846, p<0.001, r=0.249) significantly moderated the relationship between emotional intelligence and job performance, highlighting its critical role in influencing police officers’ efficiency. The study confirmed the hypothesis that EI dimensions alone individually do not significantly influence job performance unless supported by conducive working conditions. In conclusion, enhancing the working environment had a more profound effect on police performance than emotional intelligence traits alone. The study recommends instilling a culture of emotional control originating from self-regulation, upholding ethical responsibility and enhancing self-awareness in the NPSO’s duty to care, developing policies and creating a conducive working environment for the officers for motivation and investing in team-building initiatives and joint training programs that promote effective teamwork and cooperation among officers to optimize service delivery and job satisfaction.