Age and Work Engagement: The Mediating Role of Emotional Intelligence

The workforce in Portugal, as in other European countries, is ageing, posing challenges for human resource management. Although older workers are frequently subject to stereotypes concerning lower motivation and productivity, previous research has reported associations between chronological age, emotional intelligence, and work engagement. However, limited evidence is available on whether specific dimensions of emotional intelligence account for the association between age and work engagement. Addressing this gap, the present study examined the distinct mediating roles of four emotional intelligence dimensions in the relationship between age and work engagement. A multiple mediation model was tested using cross-sectional self-report data from 377 workers aged 18 to 63 (M = 39.42, SD = 11.62) working in different sectors in Portugal. The analyses included descriptive statistics, bivariate correlations, and estimates of direct and indirect associations. Chronological age showed a modest positive association with work engagement. Among the four emotional intelligence dimensions, only regulation of emotions was positively associated with work engagement after accounting for chronological age. None of the indirect effects through emotional intelligence were statistically significant. These findings do not support the proposed mediating role of emotional intelligence but indicate that chronological age and regulation of emotions were independently associated with work engagement in the present sample. By examining the four dimensions of emotional intelligence separately, the study provides a more differentiated account of their associations with work engagement and offers a rationale for future longitudinal and experimental research.