A Historical Overview of the Evolution of Emotional Intelligence
Abstract
Emotions have been a subject of study for ages. Many great thinkers have critically analysed emotions and built various theories - some of them complimentary, emphasising the importance of emotions as inextricable aspects of human life, and yet many criticising the pernicious influence emotions could have if not tempered with reason. The 19th century witnessed several empirical studies on emotions, and we find a scientific approach towards understanding the different dimensions of emotions.
Presently, ‘Emotional Intelligence’, also referred to as ‘Emotional Quotient’, has gained significant attention in the world of business. Organisational leaders have realised the importance of Emotional Intelligence and its contribution to the success and growth of an organisation. This paper attempts to chronicle the significant milestones in the development of the concept of ‘Emotional Intelligence,’ tracing its origin from the pioneers to the present time.
References
Cherniss, C. (2000). Emotional Intelligence: What it is and why it matters, Paper presented at the annual meeting of the Society for industrial and organizational psychology, New Orleans, LA.
Church, J., (2005), Reasons of which reason knows not, Philosophy, Psychiatry, and Psychology, 12 (1), pp. 31-41.
Gayathri, N. & Meenakshi, K. (2013). A literature review of emotional intelligence, International Journal of Humanities and Social Science Invention, 2 (3), March 2013, pp 42-51.
Goleman, D. (2016). What makes a leader? Harvard Business Review, South Asia OnPoint.
Massey, D. (2002). A brief history of human society: The origin and role of emotion in Social life, American Sociological Review, Vol.67,1-29.
Mayer, J. & Salovey, P. (1997). What is emotional intelligence? In Salovey, P. & Sluyter, D. (Eds.) Emotional Development and Emotional Intelligence, New York: Basic Books.
Solomon R. (2008). The philosophy of emotions. In Lewis M., Haviland-Jones, Barrett L. (Eds.) Handbook of emotions (pp. 3-16).The Guilford Press, New York.
Webb, K. (2009). Why emotional intelligence should matter to management: A survey of Literature, SAM Advanced Management Journal. 74(2), 0036-0805
