Emotional intelligence and human frailty at work: Can we be too emotionally intelligent?

Abstract

Emotional intelligence has been promoted as an important construct that increases our understanding of individual behavior in organizations and has the potential to minimize or alleviate individual shortcomings (or human frailty) at work. Concomitantly, organizational research into emotional intelligence overwhelmingly supports the idea that the construct is positively related to constructive behaviors and outcomes. The development of emotional intelligence abilities is therefore frequently advocated as beneficial to both the individual employee and the organization. But is this really the case? In this chapter, we examine the individual emotional abilities that comprise the emotional intelligence construct and consider the role of each of these abilities in reducing or preventing acts of human frailty. We conclude that the naﶥ association, generally promoted in the literature, that more emotional intelligence is always associated with less negative behavior and better personal outcomes can be challenged. Indeed, based on the evidence we argue that, when levels of emotional abilities are too high (excessive), emotional intelligence may even serve to increase human frailty.