From soft skills to EI.What are we measuring and why?

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In this report. 03 Introduction.

04 What does this research explore?

05 EI as multiple levels within the personality structure.

06 What do we learn from this work?

07 References.

Korn Ferry Hay Group’s partnership with Richard Boyatzis and Dan Goleman provides a validated measure of emotional and social intelligence competencies and an extensive source of behavioral data. The Emotional and Social Competency Inventory (ESCI) also benefits from ongoing studies that explore emotional intelligence (EI) and its relationship to performance at work and other key outcomes.

What’s inside?This series of updates shares recent research and its implications for developing EI through training, coaching and education.

This report maps different definitions of EI against a model of personality, helping practitioners choose the right EI instrument for the job.

Emotional Intelligence research series.

Estimates suggest that at least 75% of Fortune 500 companies have adopted EI-related products and services (Grewal & Salovey, 2005) and internet searches reveal that more than 150 consulting firms are offering them.

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In the last 20 years, the concept of Emotional Intelligence (EI) has captured public interest and gained ground as a business and educational intervention.

Estimates suggest that at least 75% of Fortune 500 companies have adopted EI-related products and services (Grewal & Salovey, 2005) and internet searches reveal that more than 150 consulting firms are offering them. EI is becoming a multimillion-dollar industry. The link between EI and individual performance is widely researched and well documented. Soft skills have firmed up.

However, some organizational sciences scholars remain sceptical about the concept, and their concerns often stem from a lack of consensus around its definition, measurement and validity.

This update summarizes recent in-depth studies which set out distinct definitions of EI. It allows us to navigate the different ways in which EI is measured, and anticipate the implications when choosing an EI instrument. By mapping these different definitions and measures against a model of personality, it addresses our practical questions about how EI relates to important outcomes such as job performance and satisfaction.

EI impacts a number of workplace outcomes.

EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT

JOB SATISFACTION

LEADERSHIP EFFECTIVENESS

CAREER SUCCESS

LIFE SATISFACTION

JOB PERFORMANCE

Introduction

EI

444

What does this research explore?

The studies explore the claims made by advocates of EI by asking fundamental questions:

� How many distinct definitions of EI currently exist?

� Do they measure the same psychological constructs?

� How do we select the right measure for our purpose?

Together they helpfully describe three current ‘streams’ of EI research, initially classified by Ashkanasy and Daus (2005), and their distinctive underlying theories:

Stream 1 is based on the model defined by Mayer and Salovey which positions EI as an actual ability or facet of intelligence (1997). One example, the Mayer-Salovey-Caruso EI Test (MSCEIT), is like an IQ test for emotional reasoning, posing questions that have right and wrong answers. It is a direct performance assessment of emotional processing, measuring four areas of ability: perceiving emotions, using emotions, understanding emotions and managing emotions (Mayer, Caruso & Salovey, 1999). Studies have shown ‘ability EI’ to associate with performance, but not as strongly as other approaches (Joseph & Newman, 2010).

Stream 2 includes self-report and peer-report measures based on the Mayer-Salovey model. The Trait EI Questionnaire (TEIQue), for example, shows similar validity patterns to the MSCEIT and a significant relationship to personality (Petrides & Furnham, 2001).

Stream 3 is based on a different definition and uses the EI label to include a collection of personality traits and self-perceived abilities, as well as observed behaviors. Commonly referred to as ‘mixed EI’, it draws upon content from well-known psychological constructs that, in combination, relate strongly to performance (Joseph, O’Boyle, Jin & Newman, 2015). Most instruments in this stream measure a high-utility mix of personality traits, self-perceived abilities and performance, ability EI and general intelligence (Cherniss & Boyatzis, 2013).

However, ‘mixed EI’ currently describes all EI instruments that differentiate themselves from ‘ability EI’, and the contents of this stream are ready for further sifting (Boyatzis, 2009). Clarity around measurement is the key issue, as mixed EI includes both self-reports and methods that involve others’ direct observation of behavior: 360-degree assessment, coded data from behavioral interviews and behavior demonstrated through work or simulation exercises. The case is being made for a fourth steam of EI.

Stream 4 advocates argue that the self-perception instruments in stream 3 focus on moods, internal states and personality traits, and are better described by the emerging label ‘trait EI’ (Amdurer, Boyatzis, Saatcioglu, Smith & Taylor, 2015). The focus of behavioral EI, the proposed fourth stream, is competencies, a label which links an individual’s observed characteristics to the demands of their role or situation and the level of performance that they deliver. Identified inductively from studies of performance in many occupations and in many countries, and refined through the application of performance based criteria, competencies are expected to be closely related to job performance and outcomes (Boyatzis, Gaskin & Wei, 2015).

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EI as multiple levels within the personality structure.

Boyatzis and colleagues, key campaigners for the fourth stream, propose a theory of how EI manifests itself at different levels of personality.

As well as distinguishing between abilities, self-perceptions and behaviors, their framework

differentiates emotional intelligence (EI), understanding and dealing with one’s own emotions, from social intelligence (SI), understanding and dealing with others’ emotions. It shows how individuals’ emotional and social intelligence is revealed, developed and related to their performance, and it offers practitioners a way to match instruments to specific interventions.

Emotional and social competencies as multiple levels within the personality structure. (Image adapted and used with permission, Boyatzis, Gaskin & Wei, 2015.)

Neural circuits and hormonal patterns related to EI or SI

Motivation, trait and unconscious dispositions or abilities related to EI or SI

Value and philosophical foundations of EI and SI

Self-perception and self-conceptualization of EI and SI

ABILITY LEVEL(E.G. MSCEIT)

SELF-PERCEIVED LEVEL(E.G. TEIQUE)

BEHAVIORAL LEVEL(E.G. ESCI)

Performance

Observed cluster of EI and/or SI competencies

Behavioral expressions

of EI

Behavioral expressions

of SI

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What do we learn from this work?

Know your tools.Choice is important, and these studies provide valuable explanation of the different ways in which EI is defined, measured and applied. When choosing an EI instrument, we can be clearer about the theory that underpins it, the psychological constructs that it measures and the measurement approach that it takes, and ensure that it is appropriate for the context.

Know when to use them.In contexts where only self-reports of emotional intelligence are possible or appropriate, such as recruitment, the studies validate their use in predicting employee and leader job satisfaction and job performance. The active ingredients in stream 3 self-report instruments include traits and abilities which, in combination, provide practical alternatives to measuring EI.

In contexts such as development, where the gathering of 360-degree data is possible, behavioral feedback can offer a rich collection of perspectives from others in different roles, and therefore the most direct insights into the mix of emotional and social intelligence competencies that contribute to an individual’s performance. It can be particularly valuable for leaders, for whom informal feedback is less available and less candid than that between peers. And, operating at the most changeable level of the personality structure, it can reveal specific learning opportunities that help individuals to plan their development and track their success.

Know your purpose.When working with individual contributors or leaders, the link between emotional intelligence and performance is usually uppermost in our minds. Behavioral instruments are typically designed and refined through the application of performance

based criteria and overtly compare individuals’ self-perceptions with those of their colleagues. Individuals can see, directly, any competencies in which they underrate or overrate their performance.

By highlighting a number of specific, observable competencies, behavioral instruments help individuals to focus on what matters most in their job. The relative importance of specific competencies will differ according to their role and level. As they transition between career entry, individual contribution, management and leadership, behavioral feedback can help them develop different aspects of their emotional and social intelligence over time.

The right tool for the job.

?EQ

EI

TRAITS

IQ COMPETENCIES

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The secret ingredient.

The second report in the series, ‘The secret ingredient’, provides a summary of recent research studies that explore the impact of EI on job performance, job satisfaction, career and life satisfaction, employee engagement and career success.

The 360-degree Emotional and Social Competency Inventory is available through Korn Ferry Hay Group. If you would like to find out more about the tool and its applications, please visit www.kornferry.com/haygroup

The secret ingredient.How EI seasons our working lives.

References Amdurer, E., Boyatzis, R.E., Saatcioglu, A., Smith, M.L., & Taylor, S.N. (2014). Long term impact of emotional, social and cognitive intelligence competencies and GMAT on career and life satisfaction and career success. Frontiers in Psychology, 5:1447.

Ashkanasy, N. M., & Daus, C. S. (2005). Rumors of the death of emotional intelligence in organizational behavior are vastly exaggerated. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 26, 441–452.

Boyatzis, R.E. (2009). Competencies as a behavioral approach to emotional intelligence. Journal of Management Development, 28: 9.

Boyatzis, R.E., Batista-Foguet, J.M., Fernandez-i-Marin, X. & Truninger, M. (2015). EI competencies as a related but different characteristic than intelligence. Frontiers in Psychology, 6: 72.

Boyatzis, R.E., Gaskin, J. & Wei, H. (2015). Emotional and social intelligence and behavior. In S. Goldstein, D. Princiotta and J.A. Naglieri (Eds.) Handbook of intelligence: evolutionary theory, historical perspective and current concepts (pp 243 – 262). New York, NY: Springer Press.

Cherniss, C. & Boyatzis, R.E. (2013). Using a multi-level theory of performance based on emotional intelligence to conceptualize and develop ‘soft’ leader skills. In R.E. Riggio & S.J. Tan (Eds.), Leader Interpersonal and Influence Skills: The Soft Skills of Leadership. (53-73). Routledge.

Grewal, D. D., & Salovey, P. (2005). Feeling smart: The science of emotional intelligence. American Scientist, 93, 330–339. doi:10.1511/2005.54.969.

Joseph, D. L., & Newman, D. A. (2010). Emotional intelligence: An integrative meta-analysis and cascading model. Journal of Applied Psychology, 95, 54-78.

Mayer, J. D., & Salovey, P. 1997. What is emotional intelligence? In P. Salovey & D. J. Sluyter (Eds.), Emotional development and emotional intelligence: Educational implications (pp. 3–25). New York: Basic Books.

Mayer, J. D., Caruso, D. R., & Salovey, P. (1999). Emotional intelligence meets traditional standards for an intelligence. Intelligence, 27, 267–298.

Petrides, K. V., & Furnham, A. (2001). Trait emotional intelligence: Psychometric investigation with reference to established trait taxonomies. European Journal of Personality, 15, 425–448.er, 2015.

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