Emotional intelligence and organizational learning in work teams

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore the relation between emotional intelligence (EI), team learning and team psychological safety, using a context sensitive approach. Design/methodology/approach – Using an internet survey‐research design, employees embedded inside work teams were asked to respond to an anonymous survey battery. Careful attention was paid to the collection of data from members of ad hoc teams currently engaged in projects within their respective organizations. Findings – Post analysis, evidence suggested EI was significantly and positively related with team psychological safety and team learning. Likewise, team psychological safety was significantly associated with team learning. Q‐Sorting technique was used to establish discriminant validity between the three scales. Bootstrapping revealed that team psychological safety mediated the relation between EI and team learning. Research limitations/implications – The paper’s results extend current theoretical bounds of organization learning theory and focus on actionable leverage points for management development. Moreover, by connecting previously disparate literature in both management and human resource development, new frameworks are encouraged as consideration points. Practical implications – The paper's findings could serve as the basis for new focal points in management development and perhaps shed new light on the role of emotions in work, as well as the role psychological climate plays as a specific leverage point for managers. Originality/value – This is the first paper to explore the relationship between EI and team learning amongst individual members of real world ad hoc organizational teams. Findings indicate a positive association and further delineate the process in which EI affects team learning.