BEHAVIOURAL SCIENCE

EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE
Emotional intelligence (EI) describes the ability, capacity, skill or, in the case of the trait EI model, a self-perceived grand ability to identify, assess, manage and control the emotions of one's self, of others, and of groups.[1] Different models have been proposed for the definition of EI and disagreement exists as to how the term should be used.[2] Despite these disagreements, which are often highly technical, the ability EI and trait EI models (but not the mixed models) enjoy support in the literature and have successful applications in different domains. The earliest roots of emotional intelligence can be traced to Darwin's work on the importance of emotional expression for survival and second adaptation.[3] In the 1900s, even though traditional definitions of intelligence emphasized cognitive aspects such as memory and problem-solving, several influential researchers in the intelligence field of study had begun to recognize the importance of the non-cognitive aspects. For instance, as early as 1920, E.L. Thorndike used the term social intelligence to describe the skill of understanding and managing other people.[4] Similarly, in 1940 David Wechsler described the influence of non-intellective factors on intelligent behavior, and further argued that our models of intelligence would not be complete until we can adequately describe these factors.[3] In 1983, Howard Gardner's Frames of Mind: The Theory of Multiple Intelligences[5] introduced the idea of multiple intelligences which included both Interpersonal intelligence (the capacity to understand the intentions, motivations and desires of other people) and Intrapersonal intelligence (the capacity to understand oneself, to appreciate one's feelings, fears and motivations). In Gardner's view, traditional types of intelligence, such as IQ, fail to fully explain cognitive ability.[6] Thus, even though the names given to the concept varied, there was a common belief that traditional definitions of intelligence are lacking in ability to fully explain performance outcomes. The first use of the term "emotional intelligence" is usually attributed to Wayne Payne's doctoral thesis, A Study of Emotion: Developing Emotional Intelligence from 1985.[7] However, prior to this, the term "emotional intelligence" had appeared in Leuner (1966). Greenspan (1989) also put forward an EI model, followed by Salovey and Mayer (1990), and Goleman (1995). The distinction between trait emotional intelligence and ability emotional intelligence was introduced in 2000.[8] As a result of the growing acknowledgement by professionals of the importance and relevance of emotions to work outcomes,[9] the research on the topic continued to gain momentum, but it wasn't until the publication of Daniel Goleman's best seller Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter More Than IQ that the term became widely popularized.[10] Nancy Gibbs' 1995 Time

magazine article highlighted Goleman's book and was the first in a string of mainstream media interest in EI.

Defining emotional intelligence

Substantial disagreement exists regarding the definition of EI, with respect to both terminology and operationalizations. There has been much confusion regarding the exact meaning of this construct. The definitions are so varied, and the field is growing so rapidly, that researchers are constantly re-evaluating even their own definitions of the construct. At the present time, there are three main models of EI:

Ability EI models Mixed models of EI Trait EI model

The ability-based model

Salovey and Mayer's conception of EI strives to define EI within the confines of the standard criteria for a new intelligence. Following their continuing research, their initial definition of EI was revised to "The ability to perceive emotion, integrate emotion to facilitate thought, understand emotions and to regulate emotions to promote personal growth." The ability-based model views emotions as useful sources of information that help one to make sense of and navigate the social environment.[11] The model proposes that individuals vary in their ability to process information of an emotional nature and in their ability to relate emotional processing to a wider cognition. This ability is seen to manifest itself in certain adaptive behaviors. The model claims that EI includes four types of abilities: 1. Perceiving emotions the ability to detect and decipher emotions in faces, pictures, voices, and cultural artifactsincluding the ability to identify one's own emotions. Perceiving emotions represents a basic aspect of emotional intelligence, as it makes all other processing of emotional information possible. 2. Using emotions the ability to harness emotions to facilitate various cognitive activities, such as thinking and problem solving. The emotionally intelligent person can capitalize fully upon his or her changing moods in order to best fit the task at hand. 3. Understanding emotions the ability to comprehend emotion language and to appreciate complicated relationships among emotions. For example, understanding emotions encompasses the ability to be sensitive to slight variations between emotions, and the ability to recognize and describe how emotions evolve over time. 4. Managing emotions the ability to regulate emotions in both ourselves and in others. Therefore, the emotionally intelligent person can harness emotions, even negative ones, and manage them to achieve intended goals. The ability-based model has been criticized in the research for lacking face and predictive validity in the workplace.

Mixed models of EI

The model introduced by Daniel Goleman[14] focuses on EI as a wide array of competencies and skills that drive leadership performance. Goleman's model outlines four main EI constructs:[1] 1. Self-awareness the ability to read one's emotions and recognize their impact while using gut feelings to guide decisions. 2. Self-management involves controlling one's emotions and impulses and adapting to changing circumstances. 3. Social awareness the ability to sense, understand, and react to others' emotions while comprehending social networks. 4. Relationship management the ability to inspire, influence, and develop others while managing conflict. Goleman includes a set of emotional competencies within each construct of EI. Emotional competencies are not innate talents, but rather learned capabilities that must be worked on and can be developed to achieve outstanding performance.[1] Goleman posits that individuals are born with a general emotional intelligence that determines their potential for learning emotional competencies.[15] Goleman's model of EI has been criticized in the research literature as mere "pop psychology" (Mayer, Roberts, & Barsade, 2008).

The Bar-On model of Emotional-Social Intelligence (ESI)

Bar-On[3] defines emotional intelligence as being concerned with effectively understanding oneself and others, relating well to people, and adapting to and coping with the immediate surroundings to be more successful in dealing with environmental demands.[17] Bar-On posits that EI develops over time and that it can be improved through training, programming, and therapy.[3] Bar-On hypothesizes that those individuals with higher than average EQs are in general more successful in meeting environmental demands and pressures. He also notes that a deficiency in EI can mean a lack of success and the existence of emotional problems. Problems in coping with one's environment are thought, by Bar-On, to be especially common among those individuals lacking in the subscales of reality testing, problem solving, stress tolerance, and impulse control. In general, Bar-On considers emotional intelligence and cognitive intelligence to contribute equally to a person's general intelligence, which then offers an indication of one's potential to succeed in life.[3] However, doubts have been expressed about this model in the research literature (in particular about the validity of self-report as an index of emotional intelligence) and in scientific settings it is being replaced by the trait emotional intelligence (trait Emotional Intelligence) model discussed below.

IMPORTANCE OF EMOTINAL INTELLIGENCE

Your emotional competence will play a crucial role when it comes to your success as an employee. However, for many years, many people thought otherwise. For most people, including senior executives, it was thought that those with a higher IQ were the most important aspect of a company's success. Of course, this raises the question of exactly how you are supposed to increase your emotional intelligence. There are a number courses and classes which you can take which will enhance your abilities. Unlike your IQ, which some researchers see as being set in stone (there are some that disagree on this as well), EI is something that can be increased with practice and training. Tests have been developed which can assess your current EI, and once you are able to fully understand the areas in which you are deficient, you can begin working hard to increase your EI, which will further translate into superior job performance. In turn, this superior job performance will leader to greater payment and fulfillment overall. Most skilled employees are intelligent, but not emotionally intelligent. Many individuals who were extraordinarily intelligent when it came analytical skills and general intelligence, were deficient in emotional intelligence. While they were good with numbers and logic, they were bad when it came to being sociable, and they did not have a lot of friends. Most of us have heard of the stereotypical nerd who is unable to relate to most people, and who spends most of his time huddled up working with computers, machines, or some other nonorganic objects. These individuals have almost become a cliche. This is the best example of someone who is extremely intelligent from IQ perspective, but who is totally deficient when it comes to emotional intelligence. To truly succeed in this world, it pays to have both. Since you have to deal with people on a regular basis, it pays to be in tune to the behaviors of others. It also pays to be aware of their emotions as well as your own. Another type of person who is lacking in emotional intelligence is the individual who always steps on everyone's toes without realizing it. They come off as being bullies, and few people like them. These people rarely know when "no" means "no," and they tend to try to force others to adhere to their standards.

Emotional Intelligence's Impact on the Bottom Line

To date, many companies have focused their selection criteria and training programs on hard skills (e.g., technical expertise, industry knowledge, education) and the assessment of personality traits. Topics including competencies like stress management, assertiveness skills, empathy, and political/social acumen were never measured in the selection process or focused on in training and development programs. In reality, these are critical success factors that should not be dismissed, and have a direct impact on the bottom line. For example, the Hay Group states one study of 44 Fortune 500 companies found that salespeople with high EQ produced twice the revenue of those with average or below average scores. In another study, technical programmers demonstrating the top 10 percent of emotional intelligence competency were developing software three times faster than those with lower competency. Additional research unearthed the following success stories. A Fortune 500 company in financial services proved that their high EQ salespeople produced 18 percent more than the lower EQ salespeople. One recent study conducted by a Dallas corporation measured that the productivity difference between their low scoring emotional intelligence employees and their high scoring emotional intelligence employees was 20 times. A Texas-based Fortune 500 Company had utilized personality assessments for candidate selection for years with little results in reducing turnover in their high turnover sales force. After turning to an emotional intelligence-based selection assessment and EQ training and development program, they increased retention by 67 percent in the first year, which they calculated added $32 million to their bottom line in reduced turnover costs and increased sales revenues. A large metropolitan hospital reduced their critical care nursing turnover from 65 percent to 15 percent within 18 months of implementing an emotional intelligence screening assessment. A community bank that reduced staff by 30 percent due to the sluggish economy assessed the remaining workforce for their emotional intelligence competencies, placed them in the right role for those competencies, and the bank is now producing more with less people. Lastly, through a series of recent studies conducted by ZERORISK HR, Inc., a correlation was found between low emotional intelligence and theft and shrinkage. One other study in the construction industry yielded results showing workers with low emotional intelligence had a higher likelihood of getting injured while on the job.

All of these cases are starting to prove the value of having highly emotionally intelligent employees make up your workforce if you want a competitive advantage in this highly competitive business world.

What is the Role of Emotional Intelligence in Business Today and in the Future
It's likely that emotional intelligence is going to continue to become even more important in the business world in the future than it is today. As the baby boomer population approaches retirement age, companies are going to find themselves dealing with labor shortages the likes of which have never been seen before. In an economy characterized by scarce labor, it's going to become increasingly important to hold on to the good employees. At the same time, competition for the best employees is going to become even more fierce, and good workers who feel they aren't treated fairly at work will have an easy time finding employment elsewhere. The best way to hold on to the employees that you want to keep is to incorporate emotional intelligence into your personal and organizational management philosophy. Managers and business owners can't let themselves lose sight of the fact that their employees are people, with real lives and emotions that impact how they think, feel, and act. Managers with emotional intelligence understand that their staff members are people first and workers second. This understanding guides how the best managers treat their employees at all times.

Priyavrat kundalia MBA- IB Section- D Enrollment no.- A1802010323