Employee and manager's emotional intelligence and individual adaptive performance: the role of servant leadership climate

Abstract

Purpose The present research attempts to show the contribution of emotional intelligence and servant leadership climate to individual adaptive performance. The authors intend to explain the relations between the emotional intelligence of employees as well as of manager and the employee's adaptive performance. Moreover, this research assesses the significance of the mediating role of “servant leadership” climate in the relationship between the emotional intelligence of the manager and the employee's adaptive performance. Design/methodology/approach This research uses the quantitative research method and is included in explanatory research. Data collection used several informants for each organization. Data were collected using a sample of 57 managers and 204 team members spread over 24 companies belonging to different sectors of activity. Findings Employees' emotional intelligence directly influences individual adaptive performance. There is a direct influence of manager's emotional intelligence on individual adaptive performance. Then, there is an indirect influence of emotional intelligence on individual adaptive performance through the mediation of servant leadership climate. Originality/value The novelty of this research is in its effort to observe the multilevel mediation of servant leadership climate with other variables developed in the research model. No previous studies have found a relationship between employee and manager's emotional intelligence and individual adaptive performance.