Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Does Emotional Social Competence Foster Team Climate?

  • Assessment
  • Published:
Psychological Studies Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

People seldom leave an organisation, but they often leave because of the people in that organisation. Given the current context of multinational organisations and virtual teams, it is imperative to ensure a vibrant and positive team climate for employees that helps them thrive and deliver excellence. It is well established in the literature that among other factors, employees’ interpersonal skills, emotional intelligence and cultural competence significantly impact team climate. This study focuses on analysing the relationship between emotional social competence (ESC) and perceived team climate. The study draws from the self-determination theory which states individuals are responsible and intrinsically motivated. The development of a positive team climate has been looked upon primarily as a collective initiative. While it is important to focus on organisational aspects contributing to team climate, this study explores the individual competencies that contribute to the perception of a positive team climate. It employs structural equation modelling technique to study this relationship through data from a field study with 331 managers from manufacturing, banking and service industries. Results confirm that ESC clusters have a significant impact on the perceived team climate of the individuals. The practical implications of the study show that the organisations need to formulate developmental plans around individual competencies that have significant impact on building a positive team climate.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Anderson, J. C., & Gerbing, D. W. (1988). Structural equation modelling in practice: A review and recommended two-step approach. Psychological Bulletin, 103(3), 411.

    Google Scholar 

  • Anderson, N., & West, M. A. (1996). The Team Climate Inventory: Development of the TCI and its applications in teambuilding for innovativeness. European Journal of work and organisational psychology, 5(1), 53–66.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Anderson, N. R., & West, M. A. (1998). Measuring climate for work group innovation: development and validation of the team climate inventory. Journal of Organisational Behaviour, 19(3), 235–258.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Antonakis, J., Ashkanasy, N. M., & Dasborough, M. T. (2009). Does leadership need emotional intelligence? The Leadership Quarterly, 20(2), 247–261.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Arbuckle, J. (2008). Amos 17.0 user’s guide. Chicago: SPSS Inc.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ashforth, B. E. (1985). Climate formation: Issues and extensions. Academy of Management Review, 10(4), 837–847.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bar-On (1988); In Bar-On, R. (2006). The Bar-On model of emotional-social intelligence (ESI). Psicothema, 18(Suplem. 1), 13–25.

  • Boyatzis, R. E. (1982). The competent manager: A model for effective performance. New York: Wiley.

    Google Scholar 

  • Boyatzis, R. E. (2009). Competencies as a behavioural approach to emotional intelligence. Journal of Management Development, 28(9), 749–770.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Boyatzis, R. E., Goleman, D., & Rhee, K. (2000). Clustering competence in emotional intelligence: Insights from the Emotional Competence Inventory (ECI). Handbook of Emotional Intelligence, 99(6), 343–362.

    Google Scholar 

  • Brooks, K., & Muyia Nafukho, F. (2006). Human resource development, social capital, emotional intelligence: Any link to productivity? Journal of European Industrial Training, 30(2), 117–128.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Brundin, E., & Nordqvist, M. (2008). Beyond facts and figures: The role of emotions in boardroom dynamics. Corporate Governance: An International Review, 16(4), 326–341.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bunce, D., & West, M. A. (1995). Self-perceptions and perceptions of group climate as predictors of individual innovation at work. Applied Psychology, 44(3), 199–215.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Carlson, K. D., & Wu, J. (2012). The illusion of statistical control: Control variable practice in management research. Organizational Research Methods, 15(3), 413–435.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Carmeli, A. (2009). Chapter 3 Positive work relationships, vitality, and job performance. In Emotions in groups, organisations and cultures (pp. 45–71). Emerald Group Publishing Limited.

  • Cherniss, C. (2000). Social and emotional competence in the workplace. In R. Bar-On & J. D. A. Parker (Eds.), The handbook of emotional intelligence: Theory, development, assessment, and application at home, school, and in the workplace (pp. 433–458). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cohen, S. G., & Bailey, D. E. (1997). What makes teams work: Group effectiveness research from the shop floor to the executive suite. Journal of Management, 23(3), 239–290.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dahling, J. J., & Perez, L. A. (2010). Older worker, different actor? Linking age and emotional labour strategies. Personality and Individual Differences, 48(5), 574–578.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Deeter-Schmelz, D. R., & Sojka, J. Z. (2003). Developing effective salespeople: Exploring the link between emotional intelligence and sales performance. The International Journal of Organisational Analysis, 11(3), 211–220.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Druskat, V. U., & Wolff, S. B. (2001). Building the emotional intelligence of groups. Harvard Business Review, 79(3), 80–91.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Dutton, J. E. (2003). Energize your workplace: How to create and sustain high-quality connections at work. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fornell, C., & Larcker, D. F. (1981). Evaluating structural equation models with unobservable variables and measurement error. Journal of Marketing Research, 18(1), 39–50.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fredrickson, B. L. (2001). The role of positive emotions in positive psychology: The broaden-and-build theory of positive emotions. American Psychologist, 56(3), 218–226.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Goleman, D. (1995). Emotional intelligence: Why it can matter more than IQ for character, health and lifelong achievement. New York: Bantam Books.

    Google Scholar 

  • Goleman, D. (1998). Working with emotional intelligence. New York: Bantam Books.

    Google Scholar 

  • Goleman, D. (2000). An EI-based theory of performance. In D. Goleman, & C. Cherniss (Eds.), The emotionally intelligent workplace: How to select for, measure, and improve emotional intelligence in individuals, groups, and organizations (pp. 27–44). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

    Google Scholar 

  • Goleman, D., & Boyatzis, R. (2008). Social intelligence and the biology of leadership. Harvard Business Review, 86(9), 74–81.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Goleman, D., Boyatzis, R. E., & McKee, A. (2002). The New Leaders: Transforming the art of leadership into the science of results. London: Little, Brown.

    Google Scholar 

  • Guillén Ramo, L., Saris, W. E., & Boyatzis, R. E. (2009). The impact of social and emotional competencies on effectiveness of Spanish executives. Journal of Management Development, 28(9), 771–793.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Herman, H. M., Dasborough, M. T., & Ashkanasy, N. M. (2008). A multi-level analysis of team climate and interpersonal exchange relationships at work. The Leadership Quarterly, 19(2), 195–211.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hosking, D. M., & Anderson, N. (Eds.). (1992). Organisational change and innovation: Psychological perspectives and practices in Europe. London: Taylor and Francis, Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • James, L. R., & Jones, A. P. (1974). Organizational climate: A review of theory and research. Psychological Bulletin, 81(12), 1096.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jordan, P. J., & Ashkanasy, N. M. (2006). Emotional intelligence, emotional self-awareness, and team effectiveness. In Linking emotional intelligence and performance at work: Current research evidence with individuals and groups (pp. 145–163). New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

  • Kivimaki, M., & Elovainio, M. (1999). A short version of the Team Climate Inventory: Development and psychometric properties. Journal of occupational and organisational psychology, 72(2), 241–246.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Koys, D. J., & DeCotiis, T. A. (1991). Inductive measures of psychological climate. Human Relations, 44(3), 265–285.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kozlowski, S. W., & Ilgen, D. R. (2007). The science of team success. Scientific American Mind, 18(3), 54–61.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lehmann, D. R. (1988). An alternative procedure for assessing convergent and discriminant validity. Applied Psychological Measurement, 12(4), 411–423.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lewis, K. M. (2000). When leaders display emotion: How followers respond to negative emotional expression of male and female leaders. Journal of Organisational Behaviour, 21(2), 221–234.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Maslow, A. H. (1943). A theory of human motivation. Psychological Review, 50(4), 370.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • McGrath, J. E. (1964). Social psychology: A brief introduction. New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston.

    Google Scholar 

  • Morgeson, F. P., Reider, M. H., & Campion, M. A. (2005). Selecting individuals in team settings: The importance of social skills, personality characteristics, and teamwork knowledge. Personnel Psychology, 58(3), 583–611.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pakenham, Chiu, Burnsall, & Cannon. (2007). In, Spreitzer, G., Sutcliffe, K., Dutton, J. E., Sonenshein, S., & Grant, A. M. (2005). A socially embedded model of thriving at work. Organisation Science, 16(5), 537–549.

  • Petrides, K. V., & Furnham, A. (2000). On the dimensional structure of emotional intelligence. Personality and Individual Differences, 29(2), 313–320.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pirola-Merlo, A., Härtel, C., Mann, L., & Hirst, G. (2002). How leaders influence the impact of affective events on team climate and performance in R&D teams. The leadership quarterly, 13(5), 561–581.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Plant, R. W., & Ryan, R. M. (1985). Intrinsic motivation and the effects of self-consciousness, self-awareness, and ego-involvement: An investigation of internally controlling styles. Journal of Personality, 53(3), 435–449.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Riggio, R. E., & Lee, J. (2007). Emotional and interpersonal competencies and leader development. Human Resource Management Review, 17(4), 418–426.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rojell, E. J., Pettijohn, C. E., & Parker, R. S. (2006). Emotional intelligence and dispositional affectivity as predictors of performance in sales people. Journal of Marketing Theory and Practice, 14(2), 113–124.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ryan, R. M., & Deci, E. L. (2000). Intrinsic and extrinsic motivations: Classic definitions and new directions. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 25(1), 54–67.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Ryan, R. M., & Deci, E. L. (2001). On happiness and human potentials: A review of research on hedonic and eudaimonic well-being. Annual Review of Psychology, 52(1), 141–166.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Salovey, P., & Mayer, J. D. (1990). Emotional intelligence. Imagination, Cognition and Personality, 9(3), 185–211.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Seers, A. (1989). Team-member exchange quality: A new construct for role-making research. Organisational behaviour and human decision processes, 43(1), 118–135.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Shraga, O., & Shirom, A. (2009). The construct validity of vigour and its antecedents: A qualitative study. Human Relations, 62(2), 271–291.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Spencer, L. M., Jr., & Spencer, S. M. (1993). Competence at work: Models for superior performance. New York: Wiley.

    Google Scholar 

  • Strating, M. M., & Nieboer, A. P. (2009). Psychometric test of the Team Climate Inventory-short version investigated in Dutch quality improvement teams. BMC Health Services Research, 9(1), 126. https://doi.org/10.1186/1472-6963-9-126.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Stubbs Koman, E., & Wolff, S. B. (2008). Emotional intelligence competencies in the team and team leader: A multi-level examination of the impact of emotional intelligence on team performance. Journal of Management Development, 27(1), 55–75.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Thylefors, I., Persson, O., & Hellström, D. (2005). Team types, perceived efficiency and team climate in Swedish cross-professional teamwork. Journal of Interprofessional Care, 19(2), 102–114.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Management Studies, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Sardar Patel Road, Guindy, Chennai, 600036, India

    Abha Bhartia & V. Vijayalakshmi

Authors
  1. Abha Bhartia
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. V. Vijayalakshmi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Abha Bhartia.

Additional information

Publisher's Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Bhartia, A., Vijayalakshmi, V. Does Emotional Social Competence Foster Team Climate?. Psychol Stud 64, 83–91 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12646-019-00481-7

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12646-019-00481-7

Keywords

Search

Navigation