Examining the interdependencies among emotional intelligence, trust, and performance in infrastructure projects: A multilevel study

Regardless of the calls for a distinction between individual and team levels of analysis, studies regarding the multiple-level analysis of emotional intelligence are lacking in the project management literature. This research aims to address this shortcoming by examining the relationships between emotional intelligence, trust, and performance through multilevel analysis. Data were derived from 408 participants from 89 project teams in the large scale projects through three different surveys. We used hierarchical linear modeling and we found that emotional intelligence relates positively to performance and to trust at different levels of analysis. We also found that, at the team level, trust does not mediate the relationship between emotional intelligence and project team performance. This research offers a more realistic and comprehensive picture of the management and recognition of emotional intelligence in teams and individuals concurrently and addresses the implications for project leaders of inspiring individuals and teams.