Emotional intelligence (EI) research in the construction industry : a review and future directions

Purpose: As a crucial soft skill for achieving project success, emotional intelligence (EI) remains an interesting, relevant and emerging research area which requires more researches in the construction industry. This study presents a review of existing studies on EI in the construction industry. Design/methodology/approach: A search of literature was conducted in the Scopus academic database leading to a retrieval of 146 articles. All the articles were subjected to content analysis where 48 articles were accepted to address the research objectives. Findings: The outcome revealed the topmost critical competencies in EI for construction professionals include: strong assertiveness with firmness in decision-making, strong leadership abilities, coherent team-building traits, strong conflict resolution and high self-control amid provocation. Further, the key contributions of EI to the construction industry were discovered as: increased personal and project performance, inspired leadership, built capacity against stress, improved communication skills and increased confidence within project practitioners. Practical implications: The study contributes to the stimulation of an in-depth knowledge in managing construction professionals, the society and further studies in this research area. Originality/value: Critical EI competencies of the key stakeholders of the construction projects are provided to guide practice to improve project successes.