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The impact of member emotional intelligence on psychological safety in self-managed work teams.

Authors:
Charles D. White at Longwood University
Charles D. White
Steven Harper at James Madison University
Steven Harper
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Abstract

We use collective induction as a framework for examining the interaction of individual team-member’s emotional intelligence in project teams. Using a sample of 108 project teams, we test the role of team member emotional intelligence in the development of psychological safety, which has been shown to improve team learning and performance. Results suggest that having individuals on the team who have above average emotional perception and emotional management improves member perceptions of psychological safety.
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Harper, S.R., and White C.D. (2014), “The Impact of Member Emotional Intelligence on
Psychological Safety in Work Teams,” Journal of Behavioral and Applied Management, 15 (1), 2
– 10. Is available at:
http://www.ibam.com/pubs/jbam/articles/vol15/No1/Article%202%20Harper%20et%20al%20after%20
asst%20ed.pdf
... By understanding one's emotions and the emotions of those in the surrounding environment, individuals limit the overwhelming effects of emotions on their openness to new experiences and the creative ideas these experiences unlock. These individuals self-source a perception of psychological safety that allows them to take risks in the face of potential negative consequences (Harper and White, 2013). As a person identifies positive moods in themselves and in others, an opportunity presents itself to cultivate unusual thought (Isen et al., 1985), flexibility (Isen and Daubman, 1984), and creativity (Fredrickson, 2001;Wright and Cropanzano, 2004) through a positive affect. ...
... By understanding the influence of emotions and taking on new experiences, individuals set themselves up for greater success, positivity, and confidence for future creativity. These individuals use their emotional skills to manage fear and take creative risks (Harper and White, 2013). Finally, in the regulation, use, and improvement of one's mood, a person likely sustains higher levels of positive affect and emotion facilitation (Parke et al., 2015). ...
... Given the abilities underlying EI, employees that utilize EI likely also rely on psychological safety to provide assurance and confidence that helps employees engage in innovative behavior. This idea is supported by literature that finds individuals with above average emotional awareness and management skills to have an improved experience of psychological safety (Harper and White, 2013). Future research should investigate psychological safety to assess the validity of the findings herein. ...
Opening up to innovation: emotional intelligence as an intrapersonal resource
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Purpose There is no innovation without ideas. More than ever before, these ideas are increasingly difficult to express in a changing environment ripe with emotions. Today's organizations need to understand why their employees may or may not develop, voice and implement innovative ideas in the face of this emotional tension. Current literature focuses on external factors that empower employees to innovate. This research attempts to shift the focus to the individual by investigating the relationship between emotional intelligence, openness to experience and innovation voicing behavior. Design/methodology/approach This study employs a quantitative survey among 288 US-based workers to test a mediated model of emotional intelligence, openness to experience and innovation-focused promotive voice. The authors assessed both the measurement and structural models through partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM), while controlling for a range of variables with the potential to confound construct measurements. Findings The findings validated the positive effect of emotional intelligence on openness to experience, while also finding a significant impact of openness to experience on innovation-focused promotive voice. More importantly, evidence suggests that openness to experience mediates the relationship between emotional intelligence and innovation focused promotive voice. Originality/value These findings shed new light on why employees might start the innovation process by developing and, ultimately, voicing innovative ideas. Further, this new insight focuses on the impact of intrapersonal factors as it relates to innovation and attempts to fill a gap in what is known about innovative behavior.
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... On the other hand, two studies (Day & Carroll, 2004;Yee et al., 2017) found no association between EI, as assessed by the MSCEIT, and team performance. Two studies confirmed the expected positive effect of overall EI on the relational aspects of CPS: Specifically, Day and Carroll (2004) observed that participants' MSCEIT scores were positively related to their ratings of the group's civic virtue and sportsmanship, and Harper and White (2013) found a certain level of EI to be necessary to assure adequate psychological safety within the group. ...
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... This research stream has analyzed individual and team factors in predicting psychological safety. For instance, Harper and White (2013) suggested that emotional intelligence may influence psychological safety perceptions because it is vital to managing conflicts. Similarly, Obrenovic et al. (2020) reasoned that stressful situations created by work-family conflicts can lower employees' psychological safety. ...
Organizational Culture: Effect on Psychological Safety Mediated by Trust Across 18 Societies
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  • Aug 2023
We assess the direct effect of organizational culture and the mediating effect of trust-in-top-management on employees’ psychological safety perceptions using 2,451 observations from 18 global societies. Our hierarchical linear modeling analyses suggest that clan and adhocracy cultures levy a significantly stronger effect on psychological safety than market and hierarchy cultures, and trust-in-top-management mediates this effect. Further, we examine how macro-environment factors, namely individualism, and governance quality, condition the impact of trust-in-top-management on psychological safety. We found a significant cross-level moderating effect of individualism and governance quality on psychological safety. Our fine-grained analysis of individualism indicates that its effect stems mainly from the achievement values sub-dimension of individualism but not from its power and innovation values sub-dimension. These findings contribute significantly to the psychological safety and international management research domains. We discuss implications and advance directions for future research.
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... Psychology researchers Steven Harper and Charles White (2013) conducted a study that analyzed the use of cross-functional work teams to bring together employees of diverse backgrounds. The data was able to conclude that work teams need at least one member with a minimum level of skill in the emotional perception dimension and at least one member in the emotional management dimension (Harper & White, 2013). Team effectiveness and team performance of a group can also be determined by the diversity of group members and how the group dynamic can be changed as so. ...
Let’s get Personal: The Influence of Personality Type Assessments on Team Communication and Structure
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  • Jan 2020
The balance of understanding and discussing personality types is a potential advantage to the effectiveness of a team’s work ethic and communication. Working in a team with members of different personality types that know how to work well with other personality types will achieve team effectiveness more efficiently than a team with a lack of understanding on their own and others’ personality types. It is predicted that the Truity's Type Finder Personality Test on personality types will have a strong, positive impact on overall team performance and team effectiveness. In addition, it can also be predicted that the team that takes the quiz and discusses their results will rate highest in team effectiveness. Through both quantitative and qualitative data, this exploratory study aims to prove the positive impact that personality type understanding has on communication, decision making, and overall team effectiveness.
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... Upon their consent, they completed 3 questionnaires focused on psychological capital [21], psychological security [18], and clinical performance [22]. The first questionnaire, measuring the critical elements of hope, optimism, self-efficacy, and resilience had 24 items scored on a 5-point Likert scale [23,24]. ...
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The Role of Psychological Safety in Team Communication: Implications for Human Resource Practices
Article
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In the fast-paced environment of contemporary workplaces, characterized by a focus on innovation and collaboration, effective team communication stands out as a critical factor for organizational success. At the heart of such communication dynamics lies the concept of psychological safety—a shared belief within teams that encourages individuals to express themselves without fear of negative consequences. Recognized as a fundamental element for high-performing teams, psychological safety is now undergoing a paradigm shift in human resource (HR) practices, which traditionally concentrated on recruitment, training, and performance management. As organizations navigate the complexities of the global market, understanding and fostering psychological safety within teams have become imperative. This paper explores the multifaceted dimensions of psychological safety in team communication and its implications for contemporary HR practices. The groundwork for psychological safety was laid by Edgar Schein, whose seminal research emphasized the importance of trust and mutual respect in organizational settings. Drawing from social psychology theories, Schein highlighted psychological safety as a facilitator for authentic expression and constructive dialogue. Amy Edmondson's subsequent research further underscored the pivotal role of psychological safety, particularly in fostering open communication, learning, and innovation within teams. Psychological safety, defined as the perceived safety of interpersonal interaction, influences team communication and performance significantly. Various factors such as role-based characteristics, organizational trust, and empowering leadership contribute to its establishment. Trust moderates the relationship between work locus of control and psychological safety. Training interventions and individualized attention from managers have also been identified as means to enhance psychological safety, especially in interprofessional teams where it is crucial for effective communication and decision-making. Within psychologically safe teams, members feel empowered to voice opinions, share ideas, and challenge norms without fear of reprisal. This openness fosters a culture of constructive feedback and continuous improvement, driving innovation and problem-solving initiatives. Vulnerability, as advocated by Brené Brown, plays a crucial role in this context, facilitating authentic engagement and deeper relationships among team members. With the rise of remote work and virtual collaboration, the importance of psychological safety becomes even more pronounced. HR practices must adapt to foster psychological safety in virtual teams, leveraging technology to promote inclusivity and mitigate communication barriers.
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The Effect of Emotional Intelligence on Unsafe Behavior of Miners: The Role of Emotional Labor Strategies and Perceived Organizational Support
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The primary purpose of this study is to explore the mechanism of the four dimensions of miners' emotional intelligence (Self-emotion perception, Emotion application, Emotion regulation, Other-emotion perception) on unsafe behavior through a questionnaire survey of three state-owned coal mines in Shanxi, Shaanxi and Sichuan. Nearly 300 miners participated in the survey, and the response rate reached 83.3%. The study also examined the possible effects of miners' emotional labor strategies and perceived organizational support on unsafe behavior. The reliability and effectiveness of all measuring instruments are considered acceptable. The results show that emotional labor strategy plays an intermediary role in the relationship between emotional intelligence and unsafe behavior. Perceived organizational support plays a regulatory role in the relationship between emotional labor strategy and unsafe behavior.
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