INFLUENCE OF EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE ON ACADEMIC STRESS AMONG MBA STUDENTS IN NORTH GUJARAT

Abstract

The present study investigates the influence of Emotional Intelligence (EI) on academic stress among MBA students in North Gujarat. In recent years, management education has become increasingly demanding due to academic competition, workload, examinations, presentations, internships, and placement pressures. Emotional Intelligence has emerged as a crucial psychological factor that enables students to regulate emotions and manage stress effectively. The study adopts a quantitative and descriptive research design using primary data collected from 253 MBA students through a structured questionnaire. Statistical tools such as descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, regression analysis, reliability analysis, and ANOVA were applied using SPSS software. The findings indicate that MBA students possess moderate to high Emotional Intelligence and moderate academic stress. Correlation analysis revealed a statistically significant relationship between Emotional Intelligence and academic stress (r = 0.372, p < 0.001). Regression analysis confirmed that Emotional Intelligence significantly influences academic stress and explains 18% variation in stress levels (R² = 0.180). ANOVA results showed no significant difference in academic stress across demographic variables. The study concludes that Emotional Intelligence acts as an important psychological mechanism in helping MBA students manage academic pressure effectively. The research offers valuable implications for educational institutions to incorporate Emotional Intelligence development and stress management initiatives within higher education systems.