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The IUP Journal of Knowledge Management

The Impact of Emotional Intelligence on Employees' Creativity and Innovativeness

Article Details

Pub. Date	: Jan, 2022
Product Name	: The IUP Journal of Knowledge Management
Product Type	: Article
Product Code	: IJKM020122
Author Name	: Benedict Arthur1, Millicent Selase Afenya2, Priscilla Manu Larbi3 and Rebecca Aduku4
Availability	: YES
Subject/Domain	: Management
Download Format	: PDF Format
No. of Pages	: 25

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Abstract

Emotional intelligence is gradually gaining recognition in many organizations today. Despite several revelations in the literature on emotional intelligence, no study has comprehensively empirically captured its influence on organizations in Africa. Hence, this study explores the connection between emotional intelligence and employees' creativity and innovativeness using the case of workers from the telecommunication and manufacturing sectors in Ghana. A sample size of 205 workers was randomly drawn from these two sectors. The study found no statistically significant relationship between emotional intelligence and employees' creativity and innovativeness. The result contradicts several existing studies which documented a significant positive relationship between emotional intelligence and employees' level of creativity and innovativeness. The authors attribute the contradiction to the differences in culture, as a majority of such studies were conducted outside Africa. As a result, it is recommended that managers create a more enabling environment for employees to express themselves, which will boost their level of creativity and innovativeness in the organization.

Introduction

Emotional intelligence is progressively getting recognition in most businesses today. The concept has gained more recognition from scholars in this era, where organizations are customer-driven with a competitive and unpredictable environment. The application of emotional intelligence supports employees and managers to identify and understand emotions by using emotional intelligence to manage his or her relationship with others (Singh, 2001).

According to Mayer et al. (2000), emotional intelligence "is the ability to perceive and express emotions, assimilate emotions in that, understand and reason with emotions and