Do managers need emotional intelligence to manage successfully in the workplace? Why or why not?

According to Mayer and Salovey (1997), the concept ‘emotional intelligence’ can be defined as ‘the ability to perceive emotions, to access and generate emotions so as to assist thought, to understand emotions and emotional knowledge, and to reflectively regulate emotions so as to promote emotional and intellectual growth’ (cited in George 2000, p1033). Since the 1990s, the relationship between emotional intelligence and managerial skills has been discussed intensely. The purpose for this essay is to argue that managers do need emotional intelligence to manage successfully for following reasons. First, at the individual stage, emotional intelligence is needed for providing managers with sufficient abilities to regulate their emotions, set appropriate goals and objectives and make accurate decisions. Secondly, at the intermediate stage, emotional intelligence is necessary to managers during the process of communication and positive relationship construction with employees. Last, at the collective stage, emotional intelligence is constructive with management that it helps leaders to be sensitive with the organizational climate to form better teamwork.

First, managers need emotional intelligence to manage successfully at the individual stage that emotional intelligence provides them with sufficient abilities to regulate their emotions, set appropriate goals and objectives and make accurate decisions. Initially, it is recognized that talented managers are skilled at emotion control. Ashkanasy and Daus (2002, p81) points out that successful managers who are more emotionally intelligent are usually capable of supervising emotions. In this sense, emotional intelligence guaranteed that managers’ fundamental quality of emotion control. In addition, goal settings are frequently involved in management process. Therefore, it is especially important for managers to be able to establish appropriate objectives. Ashkanasy and Daus (2002, p81) also indicates that emotionally intelligent managers are able to set sound goals. The evidence further supported that emotional intelligence is closely related to managerial skills. Moreover, emotional intelligence is relevant with decision making. At this time, emotional intelligence can be used not only to format decision based on emotional conditions but also avoid of being emotion- influenced. Mayer and Salovey (1997) outline that emotional intelligence presents the ability of logical and critical thinking combined and assisted with emotions (cited in George 2000, p1033). In this sense, emotionally intelligent managers are more likely to thinking logically and critically when making decisions. It is further supported by Lubit (2003) that successful managers with high emotional intelligence are more likely to make decision without emotion influence (cited in Parthasarathy 2009, p32). Parthasarathy (2009, p33) further concludes that emotional intelligence is helpful with managers to avoid being involved in emotion-based decisions. Without being emotion-influenced, managers are more capable of making appropriate decisions to achieve successful management. Therefore, emotional intelligence is helpful with managers to manage successfully.

Secondly, at the intermediate stage, emotional intelligence is necessary to managers during the process of communication and positive relationship construction with employees. In the action of management, effective communication and good interpersonal relationship are considered to be two of the most important aspects. Managers who have ability to establish good communication with and construct good relationship with followers are often considered to be more successful in the management role. Not surprisingly, this kind of ability is strongly related with emotional intelligence. According to Ashkanasy and Daus (2002, p81), efficient communication and positive