Emotional intelligence and conflict resolution: implications for human resource development

Abstract

The problem and the solution. There continues to be strong interest regarding the emotional intelligence construct,primarily because of the construct's potential as a predictor of workplace behavior in organizations. Little research has been conducted, however, that considers the implications of emotional intelligence for organizational change and human resource development in organizations.The study outlined in this article explores the connection between emotional intelligence and preferred styles of conflict resolution and examines the implications for human resource development and micro level organizational change specifically. One hundred and thirty-nine respondents were administered the Workgroup Emotional Intelligence Profile, a measure of group members' emotional intelligence when working in teams, as well as the Thomas-Kilmann Conflict Model Instrument. The results consistently showed that individuals with high emotional intelligence preferred to seek collaborative solutions when confronted with conflict. Implications for human resource development and organizational change are also discussed.