The relationship of emotional intelligence with task and contextual performance: More than it meets the linear eye

•Emotional intelligence (EI) relates to contextual and task performance on the job.•Most EI facets relate with job performance in a non-linear manner.•In general, who score highest and lowest on EI enjoy job performance advantages.•EI training may be beneficial to average EI scorers but detrimental to low scorers.•The amount of personal control inherent in the EI facet may be an important factor.

The relationship of emotional intelligence (EI) with job performance was investigated in 188 individuals working as expatriates. Job performance was considered in terms of task and contextual performance - helping (OCB-H) and voice (OCB-V) organizational citizenship behaviours - and was assessed by line managers. In line with expectations, most identified relationships were of quadratic U-shaped form. Specifically, all three relationships of the global EI construct, and eight out of the 11 identified relationships of its four facets, were of U-shape. That included the relationships of all four EI facets with task performance, and the relationships of two dimensions, self-emotional appraisal (SEA) and regulation of emotion (ROE) with OCB-H and with OCB-V. The findings illustrate the link of global EI and its facets with contextual performance apart from task performance that has been the primary focus of research thus far. The findings also suggest that although those with the highest scores on EI receive the strongest job performance ratings those who are most disadvantaged in terms of job performance are not the lowest EI scorers but rather those who find themselves near the middle of the EI scores continuum.