EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE AS CORRELATES OF DATA PRIVACY PROTECTION PRACTICES AMONG LIBRARY UNIVERSITIES STAFF IN RIVERS STATE

Abstract

Abstract This study investigated the correlation between Emotional Intelligence (EI) and data privacy protection practices among library universities staff in Rivers State, Nigeria. The objective was to determine whether staff with higher EI competencies are more likely to engage in responsible and ethical handling of user data. Three (3) research questions and three (3) hypotheses guided the study based on the objectives of the study. The research adopted a correlational design. The population comprised all 39 professional and para-professional library staff from selected universities in Rivers State, and a census sampling method was employed to select all the 39 library professionals as respondents for the study. Data collection was conducted using a structured and validated questionnaire titled "Emotional Intelligence and Data Privacy Protection Skills Questionnaire (EIDPPSQ)." The instrument was validated by research experts within the library profession. The reliability of the instrument was established through test re-test. The data collated from the two-pre-testing survey data was correlated using Cronbach's Alpha that yielded a reliability index of 0.87. Data analysis involved descriptive statistics (mean and standard deviation) to address research questions and Pearson Product Moment Correlation to test the study's hypotheses at a 0.05 level of significance. The analysis revealed statistically significant positive correlations between all five dimensions of emotional intelligence and data privacy protection practices among others. The study conclusively establishes that emotional intelligence is a significant and multifaceted correlates of data privacy protection practices Based on these findings, the study recommends: the integration of structured EI training into professional development programs; the development and enforcement of clear data privacy policies among others.