Assessing the influence of emotional intelligence (EI) on project performance in developing countries: the case of Ghana

Abstract

Emotional Intelligence (EI) in conjunction with other assessment tools could be used by construction organizations to significantly improve the performance of construction projects. However, studies assessing the relationship between EI and the performance of construction projects are scarce. The study presents a case study assessing the influence of EI on the performance of construction projects in developing countries. Simple random sampling technique was used to select certified project managers affiliated to PMI-Ghana Chapter. Data was collected with well-structured close-ended questionnaires and mean score ranking, exploratory factor analysis and regression analysis were used to provide an in-depth explanation to the data collected. The study revealed that effective management of EI would significantly increase project performance by 50.7% if they are employed by project managers in performing their roles. This research is confined to Ghana, limiting the study in that regard. A study to examine the relationship between leadership styles and the level of awareness of project managers on EI is proposed for further studies. The findings would provide practitioners, government agencies and industry players with the required information about the influence of EI on the success of construction projects while demonstrating the importance of EI to the project management profession.