THE IMPACT OF EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE ON WORK TEAM COHESIVENESS AND PERFORMANCE

In this paper it is argued that the degree of emotional competence demonstrated by members of a team will determine whether member interactions build cohesiveness and high performance. The study presented examines the relationship between the average score of team members on thirteen emotional intelligence (EI) competencies, and ratings of team cohesiveness and performance in 18 teams in an Executive MBA program. Results showed EI competencies of influence, empathy, and achievement orientation were positively related to student and faculty ratings of team cohesiveness. Empathy was positively related to student and faculty ratings of team performance, and achievement orientation was positively related to student ratings of team performance. Implications are discussed.