Emotional Intelligence and Performance in Social Economy Organisations: The Portuguese Experience

Abstract

The present article aims to analyse emotional intelligence as an influence in the various dimensions of the organizational life, namely in the professional context it is possible to observe a diverse set of emotional situations, that seem to influence the work performance of the collaborators and organisations. An exploratory study with a qualitative approach was developed in the sector of social economy organisations (Private Social Solidarity Institutions at Viana do Castelo District, Portugal) that aimed to investigate the impact of the emotional intelligence of employees on the performance of social economy organisations. The interviews were conducted with the technical directors of the Residential Structures for the Elderly, whose sample was defined by convenience. The results showed the existence of a positive relationship between emotional intelligence and job performance, both from a technical and relational point of view, and suggest the existence of influence on the performance of the organisations themselves.