How much is too much? : The role of emotional intelligence in self‐managed work team satisfaction and group processes

Purpose – The primary purpose this paper is to empirically assess the efficacy of using an ability‐based measurement of emotional intelligence (EI) as a predictor of self‐managed work team satisfaction of undergraduate business students. Design/methodology/approach – The study explored EI as a predictor of group satisfaction using a sample of 74 undergraduate business students from a mid‐western university. Regression analysis was used to analyze the data. Findings – Contrary to much of the literature regarding EI, the results indicate that higher levels of managing emotions and understanding emotions may significantly decrease certain facets of group member satisfaction for highly emotionally intelligent individuals. Research limitation/implications – The study employed a student sample, which to some degree raises questions of sample representativeness and generalizability of the results. Future research needs to use employee samples representative of workplace organizations to determine if the results reported here can be replicated in other samples. Additionally, future research may employ the use of larger sample sizes and qualitative approaches in order to confirm these findings. Practical implications – Organizations should be cautioned from using a blanket strategy of selecting those applicants with high EI. Based on the current study's findings, it is suggested that each team member's level of emotional intelligence on each dimension be considered. Originality/value – The paper serves as an initial step toward filling the void in the literature regarding credible measurement of EI in team processes.