EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE COMPETENCES OF THREE DIFFERENT ETHNIC GROUPS IN INDONESIA

This study attempts to provide a portrayal of emotional intelligence (EI) of the Indonesians, one of the fourth most populous countries and multiethnic societies in the world, specifically across the 404 Bataks, 430 Minangkabau, and 479 Javanese ethnics. The result indicated that the Indonesian version of the EQ-i is invariant across the three ethnic groups. The findings also showed that the three ethnic groups have some shared characteristics in terms of interpersonal, assertiveness, empathy, social responsibility, flexibility, and problem-solving competences. We found significant main effects of ethnicity and gender as well as the interaction effect on EI competences. Cross-ethnic comparison showed that the Minangkabau assessed in this study are the most underdeveloped group in terms of social and emotional capabilities. We recommend replications of this study for other Indonesian ethnic groups to draw a more valid conclusion and to support the development of society.