Employee’s Emotional Intelligence and Innovation Performance in China’s International Joint ventures: The Moderating Role of Leadership Style

Abstract

This paper explores the relationship between emotional intelligence, leadership style and employee’s innovation performance. Information was collected by distributing 400 questionnaires to Indonesian employees from China’s International Joint Ventures (IJV) operating in Indonesia. A total of 217 valid questionnaires were received. The results of the study indicate that emotional intelligence and three kinds of leadership styles (transformational, transactional and paternalistic) are positively related to employee’s innovation performance. All of these leadership styles except transactional leadership style are found to moderate the relationship between emotional intelligence and employee’s innovation performance. This study further enriches the literature in the field of human resource management. Managerial suggestions for China’s IJVs are also provided in this study.