Skip to main content


Harnessing Emotional Intelligence to Transform Organizational Culture and Elevate Employee Engagement

Issue Abstract

Abstract

The business environment's human-centered shift has made Emotional Intelligence (EI) develop into an important organizational skill that strengthens cultural resilience while pulling employees into engagement. The following paper evaluates the impact of EI on workplace development as it establishes psychological safety alongside empathy while promoting effective communication as core organizational principles. The investigation examines how basic elements of self-awareness along with self-regulation and motivation and empathy and social skills work together to develop constructive leadership while transforming cultures and sustaining employee work motivation according to existing theoretical models with supporting research data. The study reveals specific behavioural patterns from emotionally intelligent leaders which enhance employee experience through individualized assistance methods and dispute management systems and team-oriented feedback practices and emotional flexibility approaches. The research evaluates organization-level difficulties with implementing EI implementation across personal, team-based and organizational operational environments. This paper utilizes real-world and best practices to develop a methodology which shows how to incorporate EI within leadership development and talent management programs and organizational communication systems. Emotional Intelligence development creates better employee connections while promoting both innovative practice and organization flexibility and staff retention. Research presents helpful strategies which guide leaders and human resource professionals in addition to change agents who want to develop emotionally smart organizations that support employee growth in complex scenarios.

Keywords:Emotional Intelligence, Organizational Culture, Employee Engagement, Empathy, Leadership Development, Psychological Safety, Workplace Well-being, Change Management, Human Resource Development


Author Information
I. Logeshwaran, Dr.M.S.R. Mariyappan
Issue No
4
Volume No
4
Issue Publish Date
05 Apr 2025
Issue Pages
01-17

Issue References

References

  • Ashkanasy, N. M., & Daus, C. S. (2005). Rumors of the death of emotional intelligence in organizational behavior are vastly exaggerated. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 26(4), 441–452. https://doi.org/10.1002/job.320

  • Boyatzis, R. E. (2008). Competencies in the 21st century. Journal of Management Development, 27(1), 5–12.

 https://doi.org/10.1108/02621710810840730

  • Boyatzis, R. E., & McKee, A. (2005). Resonant Leadership: Renewing yourself and connecting with others through mindfulness, hope, and compassion. Harvard Business Press.

  • Carmeli, A. (2003). The relationship between emotional intelligence and work attitudes, behavior, and outcomes. Journal of Managerial Psychology, 18(8), 788–813. https://doi.org/10.1108/02683940310511881

  • Cherniss, C. (2010). Emotional intelligence: Toward clarification of a concept. Industrial and Organizational Psychology, 3(2), 110–126. 

https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1754-9434.2010.01231.x

  • Cherniss, C., & Goleman, D. (2001). The emotionally intelligent workplace: How to select for, measure, and improve emotional intelligence in individuals, groups, and organizations. Jossey-Bass.

  • Clarke, N. (2010). Developing emotional intelligence through workplace learning: Findings from a case study in healthcare. Human Resource Development International, 13(5), 511–526. 

https://doi.org/10.1080/13678868.2010.520478

  • Cooper, R. K., &Sawaf, A. (1997). Executive EQ: Emotional intelligence in leadership and organizations. Grosset/Putnam.

  • Druskat, V. U., & Wolff, S. B. (2001). Building the emotional intelligence of groups. Harvard Business Review, 79(3), 80–91. 

https://doi.org/10.1037/e665702007-011

  • Edmondson, A. (1999). Psychological safety and learning behavior in work teams. Administrative Science Quarterly, 44(2), 350–383. 

https://doi.org/10.2307/2666999

  • Goleman, D. (1995). Emotional intelligence: Why it can matter more than IQ. Bantam Books.

  • Goleman, D. (2006). Social Intelligence: The new science of human relationships. Bantam Books.

  • Goleman, D., Boyatzis, R., & McKee, A. (2013). Primal leadership: Unleashing the power of emotional intelligence. Harvard Business Press.

  • Harms, P. D., &Credé, M. (2010). Emotional intelligence and transformational and transactional leadership: A meta-analysis. Journal of Leadership & Organizational Studies, 17(1), 5–17. 

https://doi.org/10.1177/1548051809350894

  • Hochschild, A. R. (1983). The managed heart: Commercialization of human feeling. University of California Press.

  • Huang, M.-H., & Rust, R. T. (2021). Artificial intelligence in service. Journal of Service Research, 24(1), 3–20. https://doi.org/10.1177/1094670520902266

  • Kahn, W. A. (1990). Psychological conditions of personal engagement and disengagement at work. Academy of Management Journal, 33(4), 692–724. https://doi.org/10.2307/256287

  • Kram, K. E., & Ragins, B. R. (2007). The landscape of mentoring in the 21st century. Research in Personnel and Human Resources Management, 25, 1–45. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0742-7301(06)25001-6

  • Mandell, B., &Pherwani, S. (2003). Relationship between emotional intelligence and transformational leadership style: A gender comparison. Journal of Business and Psychology, 17(3), 387–404. 

https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1022816409059

  • Matsumoto, D. (2006). Culture and nonverbal behavior. In V. Manusov& M. L. Patterson (Eds.), The SAGE Handbook of Nonverbal Communication (pp. 219–235). SAGE Publications. https://doi.org/10.4135/9781412976152.n11

  • Matthews, G., Zeidner, M., & Roberts, R. D. (2002). Emotional Intelligence: Science and myth. MIT Press.

  • Mayer, J. D., & Salovey, P. (1997). What is emotional intelligence? In Salovey, P., & Sluyter, D. (Eds.), Emotional development and emotional intelligence: Educational implications (pp. 3–31). Basic Books.

  • Mayer, J. D., Salovey, P., & Caruso, D. R. (2008). Emotional intelligence: New ability or eclectic traits? American Psychologist, 63(6), 503–517. https://doi.org/10.1037/0003-066X.63.6.503

  • Petrides, K. V., & Furnham, A. (2001). Trait emotional intelligence: Psychometric investigation with reference to established trait taxonomies. European Journal of Personality, 15(6), 425–448. 

https://doi.org/10.1002/per.416

  • Salovey, P., & Mayer, J. D. (1990). Emotional intelligence. Imagination, Cognition and Personality, 9(3), 185–211. https://doi.org/10.2190/DUGG-P24E-52WK-6CDG

  • Schaufeli, W. B., Salanova, M., González-Romá, V., & Bakker, A. B. (2002). The measurement of engagement and burnout: A two-sample confirmatory factor analytic approach. Journal of Happiness Studies, 3(1), 71–92. 

https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1015630930326

  • Schein, E. H. (2010). Organizational culture and leadership (4th ed.). Jossey-Bass.

  • Tashakkori, A., & Teddlie, C. (2003). Handbook of Mixed Methods in Social &Behavioral Research. SAGE Publications.

  • Zeidner, M., Matthews, G., & Roberts, R. D. (2004). Emotional intelligence in the workplace: A critical review. Applied Psychology, 53(3), 371–399. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1464-0597.2004.00176.x

  • Zhou, Y., Leung, A. C. M., & Zhou, N. (2021). Emotional intelligence, innovation, and job performance: The mediating role of psychological empowerment. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(8), 4298. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18084298