Oops…. We Did It Again: Industrial–Organizational's Focus on Emotional Intelligence Instead of on Its Relationships to Work Outcomes

Emotional Intelligence: New Insights and Further Clarifications

The commentaries on my target article expand on it in many useful and enlightening ways, and some provide a glimpse at important new research. The commentaries also point to a few issues raised in the original article that require clarification or elaboration. In this response, I begin by recalling the “big idea” that initially led to interest in emotional intelligence (EI) as a concept, which is that success in life and work depends on more than just the basic cognitive abilities measured by IQ tests. I then clarify what I mean by emotional and social competence (ESC): It is not a single, unitary psychological construct but rather a very broad label for a large set of constructs. After considering whether we really need the ESC concept, I discuss whether the single, comprehensive definition of EI that I proposed in the target article is the best one in light of alternatives suggested in some of the commentaries. Next, I return to the issue of measurement and note new ideas and suggestions that emerge in the commentaries. I conclude by considering the question of how much EI or ESC adds conceptually or predictively to IQ or personality.

Emotional intelligence and leadership

Purpose

– In 1990, Salovey and Mayer presented a framework for emotional intelligence (EI). This marked the beginning of 20 years of academic research, development, and debate on the subject of EI. A significant amount of previous research has attempted to draw out the relationship between EI and leadership performance. EI has been a uniquely controversial area of the social sciences. EI is based on three simple yet fundamental premises. This manuscript reviews the definitions and models in the field of EI with special emphasis on the Mayer ability model and the connection between EI and leadership. The paper aims to discuss these issues.

Design/methodology/approach

– This paper takes the form of a literature review.

Findings

– EI appears to have a foothold in both our popular vernacular and our academic lexicon. However, it is not entirely clear what future form it will take.

Originality/value

– This manuscript explores the current relationship between EI and leadership, discusses the various instruments and scales used to measure the construct, and examines the controversy and criticism surrounding EI. Finally, it illuminates some areas for additional research.