Cultural factors, emotional intelligence and work group performance: a case study of students from an introductory management class

Abstract

One of the most meaningful skills employees should learn to develop a competitive advantage is understanding cultural differences. Individuals’ emotional intelligence can be formatted through a learning process influenced by cultural factors. It is expected that groups with emotional intelligence will be more successful at identifying circumstances, which may generate the possibility for disagreement, and thus are ready to deal with these circumstances by ways that will maximum facilitate team performance. Data was mainly from 64 beginning learners enrolled in a principle of management course. A questionnaire with 72 items was administered and measured to assess eighteen competencies systematized into four clusters on a 7-point Likert scale. It used a Words-In-Sentences Company practice to assess group performance. The study concludes that it is harder to manage the performance with employees of more heterogeneous from different countries with various cultural backgrounds. For those who are responsible to develop leadership in a culturally diversified organization, emotional intelligence should be a top priority to consider for developing leaders.