Social isolation and loneliness among Generation Z employees: can emotional intelligence help mitigate?

The paper tested a moderated mediation model with social isolation, loneliness, emotional intelligence, and quality of life among Generation Z (Gen Z) employees. Approximately 568 Gen Z employees participated in this study. We used WHOQOL-BREF for measuring quality of life, Schutte’s emotional intelligence test, UCLA loneliness scale and social isolation scale from Choi and Noh. We applied the PROCESS macro (model 7) by Hayes for a moderated mediation analysis, using emotional intelligence as a moderating variable and loneliness as a mediating variable between social isolation and quality of life. The results indicate that emotional intelligence moderates the mediating effect of loneliness on social isolation and quality of life and supports hypothesis 2. First, the indirect impact of social isolation on quality of life varies as a function of emotional intelligence moderating the path. Second, both social isolation and loneliness are negative and significant predictors of quality of life. Loneliness is not an individual problem anymore but a public health issue around the world. Individuals who are lonely experience both mental and physical health issues. Strong measures are needed to combat loneliness, and the current research results confirm that emotional intelligence-based interventions will help individuals fight loneliness.