Validating the Short Version of the Multidimensional Emotional Competence Questionnaire

The short version of the Multidimensional Emotional Competence Questionnaire (MECQ-s) is a competence-based questionnaire with a multidimensional framework assessing emotional competence. It consists of 32 items divided into 11 factors representing four dimensions: perception of one’s own emotions, perception others’ emotions, emotional expressivity, and emotionalmanagement. Three studies (Ntotal = 1,333) were conducted to validate the MECQ-s. Overall, reliability estimates were good (α = .72–.80 and ω = .71–.79). The results of confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and exploratory structural equation modelling (ESEM) corroborated the multidimensional structure of the MECQ-s and proved to be satisfactory. Correlations of the MECQ-s with scales of experiencing emotions provide evidence for convergent validity. A nomological network of measures including the Big Five personality, self regulation, and self-efficacy indicates that the MECQ-s proved good nomological and discriminant validity. The results for measurement invariance and test–retest reliability were satisfactory. The MECQ-s proved to have satisfactory psychometrics and can be used to evaluate emotional competence

Team behaviors as antecedents for team members’ work engagement in interdisciplinary health care teams

Introduction: Due to the increasing complexity and diversity of work tasks in teams, teams need team members who are dedicated and energetic, both characteristics attributed to team members’ work engagement. Especially in the domain of health care, high demands at work impact professionals’ work engagement. Despite teams being the main work unit in this domain, team research on antecedents of work engagement has been neglected. The present study examines the role of team behaviors such as reflection activities in the relationships between demands at work and team members’ work engagement. In doing so, the study aims to extend findings on team behaviors by considering cognitive and work-task related team behaviors as well as team behaviors that focus on emotional aspects. Methods: Data of 298 team members of 52 interdisciplinary teams of health and social care organizations which provide care and assistance were collected in this cross-sectional survey study. Relationships between team demands at work, team learning behaviors, dealing with emotions in the team and team members’ work engagement were estimated in a mediation model using structural equation modeling (SEM). Results: The results indicate that team members’ work engagement is positively related to team learning behaviors and dealing with emotions in the team. Cognitive team demands at work such as the complexity of work tasks, were found to relate positively to team members’ work engagement, while emotional team demands such as the amount of emotional labor at work had a negative relationship. Team learning behaviors and dealing with emotions in the team were found to mediate the relationship between team demands at work and team members’ work engagement. Discussion: Our results provide insights into the actual behavior of teams in the domain of health care, both on cognitive and emotional aspects, and the capability of team learning behaviors and dealing with emotions in the team to mediate the relationship between team demands at work and team members’ work engagement. The findings encourage future researchers and practitioners to address cognitive, emotional and motivational components in team research to provide a better understanding of team conditions, team behavior and team outcomes

The moderating effect of emotional competence on job satisfaction and organisational commitment of healthcare professionals

Background Healthcare organisations, such as hospitals, are largely seen as task-oriented, width different people expected to work in interdependent teams. The objective of this study was to investigate the relevance of individual factors (job satisfaction) and individual competences (emotional competence) for organisational commitment in a sample of healthcare professionals. Methods A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 96 healthcare professionals from March to June 2018 in the catchment area of five clinics in Bavaria, Germany. The present research examined the moderating role of emotional competence on the relationship between job satisfaction and organisational commitment using moderated regression analysis and simple slope analysis. Results Multiple regression analysis indicated that emotional competence moderated the relationship between satisfaction with the job and commitment to the job. The results showed that healthcare professionals with high emotional competence are able to deal more effectively with dissatisfaction in the workplace so that organisational commitment remains unaffected. Conclusions Based on the findings of this study emotional competence of healthcare professionals is important for increasing job satisfaction and commitment to the job. Especially for healthcare professionals whose job satisfaction is low, a high level of emotional competence enables them to maintain a high level of organisational commitment. The findings of the study are discussed at the theoretical level for researchers and practical level for hospital managers interested in fostering emotional competence and improving healthcare professionals’ job satisfaction and their organisational commitment, which ultimately may lead to effective performance

Validating the Short Version of the Multidimensional Emotional Competence Questionnaire

Abstract. The short version of the Multidimensional Emotional Competence Questionnaire (MECQ-s) is a competence-based questionnaire with a multidimensional framework assessing emotional competence. It consists of 32 items divided into 11 factors representing four dimensions: perception of one's own emotions, perception others’ emotions, emotional expressivity, and emotional management. Three studies (Ntotal = 1,333) were conducted to validate the MECQ-s. Overall, reliability estimates were good (α = .72–.80 and ω = .71–.79). The results of confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and exploratory structural equation modelling (ESEM) corroborated the multidimensional structure of the MECQ-s and proved to be satisfactory. Correlations of the MECQ-s with scales of experiencing emotions provide evidence for convergent validity. A nomological network of measures including the Big Five personality, self-regulation, and self-efficacy indicates that the MECQ-s proved good nomological and discriminant validity. The results for measurement invariance and test–retest reliability were satisfactory. The MECQ-s proved to have satisfactory psychometrics and can be used to evaluate emotional competence

The relationships between emotional competence and team learning behaviours

This study provides a systematic review on the relationships between emotional competence and team learning behaviours, with 32 studies identified as addressing these relationships within teams whose team members are interdependent in the fulfilment of their work tasks and goals. By examining the selected studies' findings, positive relationships between emotional competence and its dimensions and various team learning behaviours were identified. Focussed on emotional competence, the perception of own emotions and others' emotions supports teams and their members by recognising the emotions that surface during teamwork, while emotional management helps teams deal with these emotions. Although emotional expressiveness as a fourth dimension hardly has been investigated, it plays a key role and is essential to the perception of emotions in a team. Expressing, perceiving and dealing with emotions within a team enables teams and their members to work openly with each other, share and create knowledge, reflect upon teamwork and discuss constructively with each other instead of against each other. Considering the different levels of measurement and analysis, this systematic review provides an in-depth insight into the relationships between emotional competence and team learning behaviours and identifies research gaps such as implications for methodological and future research as well as practical implications for organisational practitioners and teams

Development of the Short Scale of the Multidimensional Emotional Competence Questionnaire in a German Sample

The aim of this study is the development of a short self-report tool of the Multidimensional Emotional Competence Questionnaire (MECQ). The MECQ consists of 109 items representing 11 factors resulting in an ineffective usability in combination with other measurement instruments and constitutes the reason for this study. Based on the selection criteria at content and statistical level, the results of the analyses of 777 participants suggest the creation of a 32-item short version (MECQ-s). Confirmatory factor analysis supports a four-dimensional structure, including 11 factors of emotional competence (EC). The internal consistency reliability coefficients ranged from α = .75 to .76. A comparison between the MECQ and the MECQ-s provides evidence of construct validity. The main difference between the MECQ-s and other existing self-report tools is its multidimensionality integrating several factors of EC. Researchers and practitioners can use it to measure, map and describe, or evaluate EC

Bioactive photocrosslinkable resin solely based on refined decellularized small intestinal submucosa for digital light processing 3D printing of in vitro tissue mimics

Three-dimensionally (3D) printed tissue mimics are a unique in vitro platform for studying human pathophysiology in a more physiologically relevant manner compared to oversimplified 2D cell cultures and complex animal models. Furthermore, they can be used for replacing parts of damaged tissue or organs. However, their 3D printing requires an availability of materials that at the same time show a high level of biomimicry and also have a suitable viscosity profile and crosslinking kinetics for the desired printing technique. We developed a new biomimetic material for the digital light processing stereolithography (DLP SLA) 3D printing by solubilizing and functionalizing porcine small intestine submucosa (dSIS) into photocrosslinkable dSIS methacrylamide (dSIS-MA) and by subsequently formulating it into a bioactive 3D printing resin. The concentration of 1.5 weight-% of dSIS-MA yielded desired viscosity and photocrosslinking kinetics, and the 3D printing of the resin resulted in fully transparent and highly swelling dSIS-MA hydrogels with a stiffness resembling native intestinal tissue. Both human small intestine organoid-derived undifferentiated primary cells and immortalized human Caco-2 cells grew to confluency on the 3D printed hydrogels without additional cell-adhesive precoating and formed continuous tight junctions, thereby demonstrating the suitability of the material for growing a (personalized) intestinal epithelium. Furthermore, both immortalized human HT29-mtx cells and a part of the human primary intestinal cells produced mucin 5AC, demonstrating bioactivity by early differentiation of these cells on the photocrosslinked dSIS-MA hydrogels. The new dSIS-MA resin was 3D printed into intestine-mimicking scaffolds that desirably guided the seeded human intestinal cells to grow along the 3D villi architectures. The detected cell compatibility of the new dSIS-MA material combined with its high printability and biomimicry indicated that this new material can be an excellent tool for modelling and reproducing native tissue architectures where enhanced physiological relevancy is desired