Development and Learning in Organizations: An International Journal

Emotional intelligence: The next big HR investment

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, (2009),"Emotional intelligence", Development and Learning in Organizations: An International Journal, Vol. 23 Iss 3 pp. 34 - 35
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Thomas Sy, Stéphane Côté, (2004),"Emotional intelligence: A key ability to succeed in the matrix organization", Journal of Management
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James Thomas Kunnanatt, (2008),"Emotional intelligence: theory and description: A competency model for interpersonal effectiveness",
Career Development International, Vol. 13 Iss 7 pp. 614-629 http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/13620430810911083

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 Review article

Emotional intelligence
The next big HR investment
Downloaded by National University of Singapore At 00:53 31 January 2016 (PT)

n 1995 Daniel Goleman introduced the concept of emotional intelligence (EI) to a

I popular audience. His widely successful book of the same name took academia’s
growing understanding of how the human brain regulates emotion and captured the
interest of laymen all over the globe. One of Goleman’s aims was to shift some of the great
value we have traditionally placed on intellectual ability onto emotional intelligence, or the
ability to identify and regulate emotions in ourselves and in others. Being able to deal with
people effectively, he and others said, is central to the social success of anyone. Here was
some explanation as to where these skills come from, and how they can be further
developed.
Executives and employees alike were not slow to see how Goleman’s claims might affect the
business world. People began to see that managers who were aware of their own emotions
as well as those of others were better able to challenge, motivate and inspire teams into
productive work than the more traditional manager who has tried to divorce emotion from the
workplace.
Over the next ten years much further research tried to quantify EI and its relation to business
success. Investigating the potential link between EI and career paths, various studies have
lead business academics to believe that superior EI is very likely to lead to career success
and promotion. In fact, EI is now a more important screening criterion than intellect and other
managerial skills when it comes to moving middle and senior executives up the ladder. So for
those managers who still feel a little unsure about EI, what exactly do we now know about it
and how can we increase its presence in the workplace?
James Kunnannatt of the Department of Business Administration at the United Arab
Emirates University has put forward a model of EI as a constellation of competencies that HR
managers can seek to develop rather than an abstract concept investigated by academics.
He explains that in emotionally intelligent people the mind is trained to detect and control the
brain’s natural tendency to over-ride reason with emotion. This skill can be broken down into
two sub-competencies: self-awareness and self-regulation. The former, also called
emotional literacy, enables an individual to link what they feel with what they think and do
in real time. The latter is the ability to regulate the rational and emotional operations of the
mind in balanced ways. So in a business situation like negotiation or dealing with a stressful
problem, the emotionally intelligent person will be able to notice stress or fear rising and take
control of it, just as they will be able to accurately read the emotions of people around them.
This ability has come to be known as the ‘‘meta-regulation of mood’’ and is now commonly
recognised as a centrally important skill in a good leader.

PAGE 34 j DEVELOPMENT AND LEARNING IN ORGANIZATIONS j VOL. 23 NO. 3 2009, pp. 34-35, Q Emerald Group Publishing Limited, ISSN 1477-7282 DOI 10.1108/14777280910951612
 ‘‘ If a HR manager wants to invest in training that will raise the
EI of employees, then the areas to work on are self-awareness
and self-regulation as well as social awareness and social
influence. ’’

If a HR manager wants to invest in training that will raise the EI of employees, then the areas
to work on are self-awareness and self-regulation as well as social awareness and social
influence. The lack of any of these traits might inflict damage to the person and their
interpersonal experiences in the workplace. It is Kunnannatt’s belief that the first three of
these areas can be successfully developed through rigorous training, but that social
influence, depending on so many outside variables, is much more difficult to pin down.
A training program would usually start with emotional mapping, which shows people how to
take control of their feelings and emotions in real time and to strengthen their understanding
of them and how they affect the operations of the mind. After this, training would seek to
Downloaded by National University of Singapore At 00:53 31 January 2016 (PT)

diagnose the emotional pattern of each participant, explaining how the neural pathways in
their brains have been formed, how these govern behavior and relationships with others, and
how awareness of this pattern can help them better govern their social effectiveness.
Once they have developed a deeper awareness of their emotional world, trainees move onto
emotional authentication and emotional navigation. The aim of this part of the training is to
show participants why they have made successful and unsuccessful actions in the past,
leading them to be able to better self-monitor their emotions and behaviour in the future.
After this they take part in a series of exercises that encourage them to experience their
hidden emotions and feelings fully. The aim is to train people not to deny certain active
emotions, but instead to notice and regulate them. The better we become at recognising and
harnessing feelings, the more they can be used as a source of inspiration and a force for
self-action.
Building empathy and influence are the last stages in the EI development program, and can
only be achieved through specialized and sophisticated training. It is worth the effort,
though, because the best managers will always display both of these things, along with the
associated traits of assertiveness, communication and negotiation. At the end of the
program, companies can expect their trainees to show powerful changes that will drive
performance and organizational success. All the research so far shows that high EI provides
employees with the competitive edge. Are you still unsure as to where to put your HR
budget?

Comment
This is a review of ‘‘Emotional intelligence: theory and description – a competency model for
Keywords: interpersonal effectiveness’’ by James Thomas Kunnannatt (2008). The article draws on
Emotional intelligence, brain theory and recent business research to explain emotional intelligence and make a
Career development, case for its centrality in the successful workplace. The author describes a potential training
Interpersonal relations, model to develop EI, seeing it not as an abstract concept but as a set of competencies that
Modelling can be improved with good training.

Reference
Kunnannatt, J.T. (2008), ‘‘Emotional intelligence: theory and description’’, Career Development
International, Vol. 13 No. 7, pp. 614-29.

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