Emotional intelligence competencies in engineer’s effectiveness and engagement

Abstract

Purpose Little research has explored the importance of interpersonal skills, and more specifically, emotional and social intelligence (ESI) competencies for an engineer’s effectiveness or engagement. Furthermore, to the knowledge, no studies have explored the explanatory power of ESI over and above general mental ability and personality for engineers. The paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach In this study the authors gathered multi-source data for 40 engineers in a multi-national manufacturing company. Findings The authors found that ESI as observed by their peers significantly predicted engineer effectiveness (ΔR2=0.313), while general mental ability (g) and personality did not. In the same study, an engineer’s engagement in their work was significantly predicted by the degree of shared vision within their teams, while g, personality and ESI did not predict engagement. Research limitations/implications The authors explore the implications of the findings for corporate training and development, undergraduate education, and graduate education of engineers. Originality/value The authors draw on 30 years of longitudinal studies showing ESI and quality of relationships can be significantly improved with the appropriate pedagogy emphasizing the building of one’s vision, developmental approaches to ESI, developing a shared vision with others, and inspirational coaching.