Impact of Emotional Intelligence on Employee Performance: A Bibliometric Approach

Abstract

This systematic review attempts to promote organizational efficiency by synthesizing scholarly evidence on the association between emotional intelligence (EI) and employee performance. Utilizing a rigorous approach, this study conducts an examination of all scholarly publications published in Scopus between 2014 and 2023. The Scopus database is used to retrieve the data. The VOSviewer is employed for bibliometric analysis in this research. The results indicate that emotional intelligence (EI) has a major impact on employees’ performance, influencing both individual opportunities and overall corporate outcomes. The majority of research investigations tend to employ a quantitative methodology, frequently making use of structural equation modeling (SEM) and the AMOS software. The focus of research is mostly centered in Malaysia, Indonesia, India, and the United Kingdom. This study makes a significant contribution by conducting a complete analysis of the influence of emotional intelligence (EI) on employee performance. It not only sheds light on the current state of knowledge in this area but also identifies potential areas for future research and practical implications. Notwithstanding the constraints in the selection of databases and the possibility of exclusions, the systematic method lays a robust groundwork for the progression of knowledge in this field.

Share and Cite:

Sharmin, S. , Kalam, F. , Islam, A. and Aubhi, R. (2024) Impact of Emotional Intelligence on Employee Performance: A Bibliometric Approach. Journal of Human Resource and Sustainability Studies, 12, 243-262. doi: 10.4236/jhrss.2024.122013.

1. Introduction

Thorndike conducted pioneering research on emotional intelligence in 1920 and looked at intelligence from a new angle, namely the “social intelligence” factor (Thorndike, 1920) . “The ability to understand and manage men and women, boys and girls to act wisely in human situations” was how psychologist and sociologist Edward Thorndike characterized Social Intelligence. Then, in 1983, Howard Gardner proposed a multiple intelligence theory in Frames of Mind (Hoerr, 1996) . They defined intelligence as “the ability to solve a problem”. This definition of intelligence is still used today. Indeed, emotional intelligence was defined by Salovey & Mayer (1990) . The capacity to recognize and comprehend one’s state of mind and the feelings of others, facilitating the establishment of constructive interpersonal connections, assumes a pivotal role in doing emotional work (Goleman, 1998) . However, emotional intelligence is related to a person’s capacity to handle coercion.

Individuals confront distinct obstacles. In identifying and fulfilling their objectives and requirements, individuals strive to attain a state of personal and societal equilibrium while cultivating their engagement with the surrounding environment. Essentiality involves an ongoing alignment between an individual’s distinct attributes and the surrounding external conditions. This alignment is established and sustained by engaging an individual’s ability to use stress-coping mechanisms to attain a balance between oneself and one’s external environment. The individual does this via manipulating exogenous variables, including the mobilization of resources, the alteration of objectives and ambitions, and the transformation of the surrounding situation (Albesher & Alsaeed, 2015) . Moreover, Emotional Intelligence (EI) assumes a crucial function as a mediator in the associations between Emotional Labor (EL) and employee performance. This plays out to be suitable for both parties involved (Kamassi et al., 2020) . In addition, there was a significant and quite robust relationship between emotional intelligence and employee performance. They also have a unidirectional relationship, meaning that as emotional intelligence increases, the performance of the employees improves (Linda et al., 2019) . Furthermore, this study suggests that perceptions of organizational support, self-efficacy, emotional intelligence, and communication are crucial to enhancing employee performance. As a result, the organization must support workers to increase productivity. Given the substantial influence that interpersonal communication skills may have on an employee’s overall performance, it is essential for leaders to also take into account employee conduct, including self-efficacy and emotional intelligence (Mujanah et al., 2019) . In addition, Gong et al. (2019) and Prentice (2019) have demonstrated that EI influences various attitudes and positive job-related behaviors, such as job satisfaction and performance.

Nonetheless, in recent years, numerous studies on the behavior of individuals have been conducted, rendering the conventional method for evaluating the behavior of employees in organizations less pertinent (Lima et al., 2022) . Consequently, this phenomenon has impacted businesses with advantageous positions within the market, prompting them to adopt optimal strategies and approaches for effectively managing the human element within the workplace. Moreover, these businesses have recognized the importance of engaging in regular surveillance activities to assess their employees’ emotional well-being and conduct, both in relation to themselves and their interactions with others within the organization (Lima et al., 2022) . Individuals who engage in cooperative efforts to achieve common goals demonstrate a range of innovative and technical activities and management competencies. Furthermore, these capabilities are not always enough to achieve professional success. To achieve success, individuals need to enhance their interpersonal abilities. Businesses might tremendously benefit from adopting emotional intelligence practices to improve employee performance. In addition, if a manager or senior manager in a company can understand the employees’ behavior towards their work through EI, this could improve employee performance, and the employees would contribute more to achieving the overall organizational goals (Lima et al., 2022) . The study aims to conduct a literature review of Emotional Intelligence’s influence on employees’ performance. Employee performance is the key to achieving organizational goals. Nonetheless, the organization’s overall performance will likely improve if it proactively fosters employee motivation and work satisfaction. On the other hand, achieving and sustaining high staff performance levels is not easy. Because low employee engagement can impact company performance, managers need to have a solid understanding of the situation and be aware of how involved people are in their work (Riyanto et al., 2021) . Furthermore, the dynamic nature of employee performance may substantially impact an organization’s overall success and its activities’ long-term viability (Alefari et al., 2020) .

Shifting towards the primary objective of this paper which is to find and standardize scientific literature on emotional intelligence and its impact on employee performance to meet organizational goals and improve organizational effectiveness. The main addition to the review of the literature is to look at all of the issues together, not just one at a time. The current corpus of study on emotional intelligence and its effect on employees’ job performance is expanded upon by the contributions to new evidence. Finally, the analysis suggests other areas for investigation into how they are evolving and how they might be enhanced.

2. Theoretical Framework

2.1. Goleman’s Model of Emotional Intelligence

The idea of emotional intelligence is considered to be very recent in its emergence but has significant implications for employee selection and performance management (Ashkanasy & Daus, 2002) . The existing body of literature indicates that Emotional Intelligence models have been categorized into three main types: the ability, mixed, and trait models. These classifications arise from varying definitions of Emotional Intelligence put forth by different theorists. Notably, Emotional Intelligence has been categorized as a non-cognitive construct by scholars such as Bar-On (1997) , Goleman (2001) , and Petrides & Furnham (2001) , except for Salovey & Mayer (1990) , who were recognized as the founders of Emotional Intelligence. Emotional intelligence, as often conceptualized in existing models, encompasses two primary components: personal intelligence, which involves the comprehension, regulation, and application of one’s own emotions, and social intelligence, which pertains to the knowledge, regulation, and use of the emotions shown by others (Kanesan & Fauzan, 2019) . Emotional intelligence is commonly categorized in existing frameworks as individual and Social Intelligence. The concept of emotional intelligence, as outlined in research, refers to an individual’s ability to identify and regulate their own emotions, as well as the emotions of others within a social context (Mayer et al., 2000) . Bar-On’s hybrid model of emotional intelligence incorporated intrapersonal (personal) and interpersonal (social) elements (Bar-On, 1997) . A subsequent researcher further developed the hybrid model, emphasizing the cultivation of self-awareness and self-management in the personal domain and social awareness and handling relationships in the social domain (Goleman, 2001) .

2.2. Emotional Intelligence: Ability Model

The ability model of emotional intelligence encompasses four distinct categories of cognitive abilities related to the processing of emotions. These mental skills are organized hierarchically, progressing from fundamental to more sophisticated levels. Four distinct capacities have been identified. The academic study of emotions encompasses several aspects, including the perception, assessment, and manifestation of emotions. Additionally, emotions can play a role in facilitating intellectual processes, such as problem-solving and decision-making. Understanding emotions also involves the ability to interpret and analyse them, considering their underlying causes and implications. Lastly, the management of emotions in a thoughtful manner is an important aspect of emotional intelligence. There are four levels within each ability area, ranging from fundamental to proficient (Mayer et al., 2000) .

Initially, the scholars established a conceptual framework whereby perception, evaluation, and expressing emotion were delineated as the cognitive capacities to recognize and distinguish emotions inside oneself and among others. The procedure of seeing, evaluating, and communicating emotions starts with the individual’s self-awareness of physiological arousal, internal affective states, and cognitive functions. After mastering self-generalization, an individual can identify others’ emotions by examining surrounding signs. Subsequently, individuals have the capacity to express emotions cohesively in response to external stimuli. Ultimately, individuals possess the ability to discern between genuine and deceptive expressions of emotions (Mayer et al., 2000) . Emotional facilitation of cognition is an additional component of the ability model of emotional intelligence that encompasses the utilization of emotions to enhance progressions such as cognitive, creative thinking, and interpersonal communication. Emotions facilitate cognitive prioritization by directing attention toward salient information within the environment. An individual can ultimately produce intense emotions to improve judgment and retention. To plan or decide, a person feels, manipulates, and examines the resulting feeling. Then, a person might think from several angles using emotional mood swings. Bad moods cause pessimism, while good spirits cause optimism. As mood changes, thinking style changes. Emotionally intelligent people can use mood swings to be more flexible when planning (Mayer et al., 2000; Salovey & Mayer, 1990) . The pinnacle in the emotional assistance of cognitive processes is the capacity to discern reasoning influenced by emotions. The experience of happiness has been shown to facilitate the development of imaginative and inductive thinking, while the experience of melancholy has been seen to foster deductive reasoning (Mayer et al., 2000; Salovey & Mayer, 1990) .

The third dimension pertains to the cognitive processes involved in empathetic and evaluating emotions, encompassing an individual’s capacity to categorize and make meaning of emotional experiences (Mayer et al., 2000) . The comprehension of emotion necessitates categorizing and contrasting different emotional states. Subsequently, one can comprehend the affective state and its underlying catalyst, such as grief after deprivation or elation ensuing a triumph. Subsequently, individuals may get an understanding of intricate sensations such as love and hatred simultaneously, thus becoming proficient in the analysis and progression of emotions. Depending on the given circumstances, wrath might manifest as either a feeling of humiliation or a sense of satisfaction (Salovey & Mayer, 1990) . The final dimension, known as reflecting emotion regulation, pertains to the capacity to avoid, reduce, amplify, or alter our own and others’ emotional states (Mayer et al., 2000) . The promotion of an individual’s emotional and intellectual growth is facilitated. Indeed, effective emotional regulation plays a vital role in the process of planning. Suitable reflective emotion regulators embrace both positive and negative emotions. They eventually learn to use or ignore emotions. After that, the person may track and reflect on feelings. Finally, by enhancing positive emotions and reducing negative ones, the person will master emotion management (Mayer et al., 2000) .

2.3. Emotional Intelligence: Trait Model

Trait emotional intelligence encompasses fifteen emotion-related attributes that are associated with personality traits. These attributes may be categorized into four distinct categories, specifically well-being, self-control, emotionality, and sociability (Petrides, 2009) . Well-being improves adaption. Controlling impulses is self-control. High emotionality indicates relationship-building through emotion. Finally, sociability affects connections and influence. Emotional intelligence comes from adaptability and self-motivation (Petrides, 2009) . Figure 1 presents Petrides (2009) ’s trait emotional intelligence model.

While Petrides & Furnham (2001) have claimed that trait emotional intelligence is situated at the inferior stages of personality, Van der Linden et al. (2017) have demonstrated significant overlap with broader personality variables. Trait emotional intelligence is increasingly being integrated into the existing framework of the Big Five personality theories. Emotional intelligence and intellectual

Figure 1. Trait model of emotional intelligence by Petrides. Source: Adapted from (Petrides et al., 2004) .

intelligence are distinct constructs (Petrides et al., 2004; Petrides, 2009) . Emotional intelligence combines information processing and memory to detect, comprehend, and relate emotions to solve issues (Mayer et al., 1999) . Thus, emotional intelligence should not be assessed. Emotional intelligence is debatable in this concept. Therefore, this paradigm is inadequate for assessing emotional intelligence.

2.4. Emotional Intelligence: Mixed Model

The mixed model of emotional intelligence is enhanced by the combination of competence, which refers to one’s skill, and general disposition, which pertains to one’s features. Two prominent mixed models of emotional intelligence exist, as presented by researchers Bar-On (1997) and Goleman (2001) . In essence, Bar-On’s mixed model might be predominantly theoretical, whereas Goleman’s approach leans towards a more practical orientation. According to Bar-On (1997) , emotional intelligence refers to non-cognitive aptitudes, capabilities, and skills that impact an individual’s capacity to manage external pressures effectively. The model, consisting of five dimensions and 15 components, is considered innovative and unique. Within the first and subsequent categories, intrapersonal skills encompass self-centeredness, emotional self-awareness, self-confidence, self-actualization, and individuality. Conversely, interpersonal skills encompass empathy, interpersonal interactions, and social responsibility. Adaptation is succeeded by the cognitive abilities of problem-solving, flexibility, and validity checking. The fourth level of stress management includes the ability to regulate impulsivity and exhibit tolerance. Lastly, the concepts of happiness and optimism were elucidated. Bar-On (1997) further developed his model by classifying the various elements into two distinct categories: constituent components and facilitators. The constituent features include self-regard, self-awareness on an emotional level, assertiveness, empathy, relationships with others, problem-solving, flexibility, reality evaluation, stress tolerance, and impulse control. On the other hand, the facilitators consist of self-actualization, autonomy, social responsibility, optimism, and happiness. Figure 2 depicts Bar-On’s initial mixed model of

Figure 2. Bar-On’s mixed model of emotional intelligence. Source: Adopted from (Bar-On, 1997) .

emotional intelligence with five primary dimensions and components in each dimension.

In 1995, Emotional Intelligence was commonly characterized as non-cognitive traits. The first model had five distinct facets and a total of twenty-five abilities pertaining to emotional intelligence (Goleman, 1998) . Self-awareness allows a person to recognize their feelings, strengths, flaws, objectives, motives, and impact on others. Self-regulation involves recognizing, controlling, and channeling negative emotions into beneficial actions. Social skills—managing relationships and leading—are the third dimension. Fourth dimension: empathizes with others. Motivation is the final factor. Subsequently, Goleman further developed his model by delineating four distinct dimensions, including a total of twenty abilities pertaining to emotional intelligence. This refinement was informed by the research conducted by (Goleman, 2001) . The updated framework encompasses the dimensions of self-awareness, social awareness, self-management, and relationship management. Table 1 depicts Daniel Goleman’s mixed emotional intelligence paradigm, which integrates an individual’s ability and personality (Goleman, 2001) .

Both Goleman (1995) and Bar-On (1997) have developed Mixed Models of emotional intelligence that encompass competence, which refers to one’s skill, and general disposition, which pertains to one’s characteristics. The concept of the mixed model is genuinely widespread and thorough. However, one limitation of the mixed model is its potential redundancy with individual personality traits. The hybrid model of emotional intelligence has a broader scope than the measurement of emotional intelligence alone. It emphasizes adaptive functioning, including social abilities, managing stress, and motivation, which may not be strictly categorized as emotions or intelligence. (Cherniss, 2010) agreed that Bar-On’s and Goleman’s models incorporated broader concepts (ability and attribute) that contradict Salovey and Mayo’s widely accepted definition of emotional intelligence. Therefore, these models do not qualify as authentic examples of excellence.

3. Emotional Intelligence and Employee Performance

As a result of the pandemic and the arduous nature of the work environment, workplace stress has increased substantially over the last two years. Despite the

Table 1. Daniel Goleman’s mixed paradigm of emotional intelligence.

Source: Adopted from (Goleman, 2001) .

challenging work conditions brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic, individuals with elevated emotional intelligence (EI) have exhibited superior work performance and a reduced incidence of counterproductive work behaviors, as opposed to those with lower EI who have displayed heightened levels of work-related stress (Sadovyy et al., 2021) . According to previous research (Liberty & Kida, 2017) , workplace stress is observed as a prevalent occurrence on a global scale. He asserts that employees at all levels are experiencing elevated levels of tension and uncertainty. One of the primary sources of stress and anxiety is the workplace. Today, economic upheavals, downsizing, layoffs, and mergers have resulted in the loss of hundreds of thousands of employees. In every workplace, employees are required to adhere to a preexisting system. In their paper on Emotional Intelligence, Rastogi & Sharma (2022) elucidate the existence of a discernible differentiation between administrators characterized by elevated and diminished degrees of emotional intelligence.

The initial cohort exhibits superior professional achievements, heightened levels of subjective well-being, and more robust social connections than the remaining groups. A range of negative emotions such as loneliness, anxiety, frustration, feelings of guilt, emptiness, disappointment, responsibilities, resentment, wrath, reliance, victimization, and failure characterizes low emotional intelligence. While a substantial body of literature exists on emotional intelligence (EI) and its impact on work-related outcomes, less study has been conducted on the specific relationship between EI and employee performance, according to (Linda et al., 2019) identifying literature using explicit, reproducible, and complete methodologies. This strategy also helps discover gaps in knowledge and detect new trends in disciplines (Linda et al., 2019) . This study undertook a thorough literature review of the existing research on Emotional Intelligence and the performance of employees to find any gaps in the literature. The aims of this study were as follows (Figure 3): 1) The objective of this study is to examine the

Figure 3. Objectives of the study. Source: Developed by the authors.

existing body of literature pertaining to the research site, geographical region, and resultant findings. 2) To ascertain the significance of emotional intelligence (EI) on the performance of employees. 3) To ascertain the influence of emotional intelligence (EI) on employee performance.

4. Materials and Methods

This study used a prevalent approach to conduct this systematic literature review (Pickering & Byrne, 2014) . The utilization of systematic procedures in the study and categorization of relevant literature allows for the production of reliable and replicated reviews, therefore providing credible evaluations of the present status of a particular research topic. Furthermore, this methodology aids in reducing the likelihood of bias commonly linked to narrative analysis (Roy et al., 2012) . The quantitative evaluation that results evaluates the subject matter, method employed, and outcomes obtained. The Scopus databases were utilized to search since it is well recognized as a prominent repository of scholarly publications across several disciplines, including the sciences, humanities, and social sciences. The VOSviewer application evaluates the search results from the Scopus databases. VOSviewer is a freely available software tool designed to administer bibliometric networks. The fundamental advantage of text mining is in its capacity to analyze and visualize networks of term co-occurrence through the utilization of graphical representations. By analyzing the sources, institutions, and authors of reference, a bibliographic coupling study reveals the progression of scientific and scholarly investigation. The suggested approach involves doing a co-occurrence analysis to comprehensively assess the current state of research and investigate the primary research themes that have been explored at this point to identify commonalities and disparities among them.

Given the complexity of the investigation, the search engine includes three components: 1) Emotional Intelligence; 2) Employee performance; 3) Employee Productivity. The terminology associated with these components has been consolidated in the Scopus database. Table 2 displays the database-specific search strategy. In addition to using suitability criteria to evaluate the studies, the following were also considered: Four criteria need to be met for the inclusion of research in this analysis. Firstly, the study should establish a clear association between Emotional Intelligence (EI) and employee performance. Secondly, the

Table 2. Search Strategy by database.

study must have been published in an English-language indexed peer-reviewed journal. Thirdly, the study’s sample should consist of individuals from business, management, or industry. Lastly, the study should have been conducted from 2013 to 2022.

5. Results & Findings

An aggregate totalling ninety-two items has been determined. The assortment flow diagram for the studies has been presented in Figure 4. During the initial evaluation process, 66 papers were eliminated due to their failure to meet the predetermined criteria for inclusion in the assessment. An additional two studies were eliminated from the analysis owing to availability issues. Subsequently, four studies were excluded because they either did not directly pertain to emotional intelligence (EI), were not relevant to business or management, or were in formats that did not meet the inclusion requirements. As a result, 20 articles were included for evaluation, with a sample size (n) of 20.

5.1. Meta-Data Analysis

Table 3 examines the records acquired through the database search process, specifically focusing on the annual count of articles inside the Scopus databases over the past eleven years (from 2014 to 2023). The maximum number of publications was recorded in 2022, accounting for 19.23%.

In terms of country analysis, seventeen countries were discovered to have published papers on the study topic in Scopus, with at least one country publishing twice. With six publications, Malaysia stood out, followed by Indonesia and India with four and the United Kingdom with two (Table 4).

Regarding the journals that have propagated the subject the most, 18 publications have been identified, each producing at least one article. With two articles, the two journals that have published the most on the subject are the International Journal of Recent Technology and Engineering and Quality—Access to Success (Table 5).

Table 6 lists the five top writers regarding emotional intelligence and employee performance. Only two writers have at least two publications in the Scopus database, Kumar, A. and Prentice, C., who have the most records (2) in the subject area.

The co-occurrence analysis demonstrates the uniformity of the link of the primary study subjects in the selected investigations based on searches in the Scopus databases. 102 keywords have been found among the published material

Table 3. Publication per year in Scopus.

Source: Authors’ representation.

Table 4. Top five countries published emotional intelligence and employee performance in Scopus.

Source: Authors’ representation.

Table 5. Top five journals published emotional intelligence and employee productivity in Scopus.

Source: Authors’ representation.

Table 6. Emotional Intelligence and employee performance by author.

Source: Authors’ representation.

Figure 4. Assortment flow diagram for the studies (Adapted from The PRISMA Group (Moher et al., 2010) ). Source: Developed by the authors.

in the databases used, thirteen of which were associated with the research topic, and their frequency was quantified in terms of the frequency count they appeared in the outcomes of the searches conducted and the total strength of the connexion, precisely, taking the importance of these words, in each of the investigators considered (Table 7).

Figure 5 depicts the groupings of various research subjects for Scopus. The individual diagram depicts the co-occurrence map by labels, with the size of the circle increases as the number of citations for a phrase increases. The colours distinguish the various theme categories. The primary cluster in green in the center addresses research on emotional intelligence, employee performance, and performance. The second, red-coloured cluster, contains research on humans, human experiments, reliability, and questionnaire.

A co-occurrence analysis was performed using the Scopus database to examine the consistency of the primary study themes. Figure 6 depicts the co-occurrence maps by densities, with the density of the mass allowing observation of the link between the various words, while the colour shows their significance, with green being the most essential and blue being adjacent. The most critical issues occur in the centre and are near the other: emotional intelligence, employee performance, and performance. Furthermore, human, human experiment, reliability, and questionnaire are the topics often employed in studies in this area.

5.2. Content Analysis

A sample of 20 publications pulled from Scopus were used to analyze the content

Table 7. Co-occurrence analysis.

Source: Authors’ representation by using VosViewer.

Figure 5. Co-occurrence analysis. Network Visualisation (minimum occurrence = 2). Source: Authors’ representation by using VosViewer.

Figure 6. Co-occurrence analysis. Density Visualisation. Source: Authors’ representation by using VosViewer.

of this study. This section seeks to divide the papers into three primary groups: methodology, software, and study outcome.

5.2.1. Methodology of the Study

Table 8 shows that only 02 of the 20 papers are conducted using a mixed method, and 18 of them involve quantitative studies. 8 papers used SEM, 3 papers CFA, 1 paper each of the Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin Measure of Sampling Adequacy and the Bartlett Sphericity Test, 1 paper each of inferential statistics, specifically the correlation matrix and multiple regression analysis, 1 paper each of Cronbach’s alpha, 1 paper each of a cross-sectional approach, 1 paper each of a descriptive, cross-sectional, correlation comparative design, 1 paper each of Receiver operating Here, three papers employ multiple models for data analysis. The using methods are summarized as follows:

5.2.2. Software Used in the Study

Out of 20 articles, 6 articles use software for data analysis. PLS, AMOS and SPSS software used in these articles. The summarized are as followed:

5.2.3. Outcome of the Study

Based on empirical studies, it has been shown that emotional intelligence exerts

Table 8. Research methods used in the 29 research studies on emotional intelligence examined in this work.

a noteworthy influence on an employee’s performance (Alferaih, 2021) . The presence of heightened emotional intelligence significantly influenced the amount of organizational resilience among employees (Dhoopar et al., 2022) . Besides that, emotional intelligence had a great influence on employee’s job satisfaction (Ibrahim et al., 2019) . Conversely, emotional intelligence in leadership is required to implement management practices and effectively establish a conducive organizational culture. This, in turn, contributes to heightened levels of job satisfaction among employees. It is worth noting that job satisfaction plays a crucial role in enhancing employee performance (Ibrahim et al., 2019) . Retention of employees’ emotional Intelligence plays a significant role (Prentice et al., 2020) as well as discipline is another important factor for ensuring the performance of the employees as like as emotional intelligence (Linda et al., 2019) . Additionally, through proper training, the level of emotional intelligence and performance of employees can be increased, and this helps to boost employee success (Raisal et al., 2022) .

In the case of the higher education sector, emotional intelligence acts as an emotional resource that help to improve employee efficacy and performance (Kamassi et al., 2020) . In a study in the Romanian public sector, it was asserted that the performance of employees depends on the assessment of emotional intelligence at the time of recruitment and how the organization retains emotional intelligence of the employees (Sabie et al., 2020) . There is no question that a greater degree of emotional intelligence has a substantial influence on employee performance. Therefore, it is imperative for management to give serious consideration to the increasing development of emotional intelligence in order to secure the overall success of the business (Lima et al., 2022) .

Furthermore, workplace spirituality and organizational virtual is also important factors for ensuring employee performance as well as like internal virtue which is also known as emotional intelligence (Arshad et al., 2023; Wati et al., 2023) . In the case of the service sector, where direct communication with customers is required a higher level of emotional intelligence of employees is mandatory for ensuring their job performance at a satisfactory level (Avadhani & Menon, 2021) . Moreover, emotional intelligence skill is required for relationship management and self-management which is significant for ensuring job performance of the employee (Giorgi et al., 2014) . Similarly, in the case of the nursing profession, the significance of incorporating EI skills into clinical practice performance requirements (Al-Hamdan et al., 2017) . The incorporation of emotional intelligence (EI) as a fundamental notion in nursing practice has been proposed, particularly in high-stress clinical settings such as cancer nursing and emergency nursing. This suggestion warrants further expansion to encompass EI’s relevance and use throughout the nursing profession (Al-Hamdan et al., 2017) . Admittedly higher level of emotional intelligence exhibit higher levels of Organizational Citizenship Behavior, leading to increased organizational performance and employee performance (Anwar et al., 2017) . Leader and follower

Figure 7. Conceptual framework of the study.

Figure 8. Theoretical contributions of this study.

emotional intelligence had a significant impact on employees’ performance and turnover intention but no significant impact on employee wellbeing (Clarke & Mahadi, 2017) . Figure 7 represents the conceptual framework of the study which depicts that emotional intelligence has an impact on employee performance which accelerates employee success and organization success.

The study presented a lack of comprehensive literature of emotional intelligence and employee performance. This study demonstrated that EI significantly affects employee performance. Additionally, this affects organization performance, employee retention, well-being, and employee behaviour. These findings help us understand the present level of emotional intelligence research on employee performance and suggest future research to fill the gap. This study found that EI research on employee performance focused on three primary areas: antecedents, models, and outcomes (shown in Figure 8).

6. Conclusion & Practical Implication

This study intended to conduct a comprehensive analysis and provide a standardized framework for the existing scientific literature on the relationship between emotional intelligence and employee performance. This review will focus on the examination of these subjects, the presentation of novel empirical findings, and the proposal of future research directions to advance and refine our understanding in these areas. The highest number of papers was published in 2022, which is 19.23%. The majority of the inquiries are being conducted in Malaysia, Indonesia, India, and the United Kingdom. 18 of the publications (75%) utilized the quantitative approach, and 2 of the papers (25%) used both the quantitative and qualitative methods for their research. When it came to the approach, the vast majority of the papers made use of SEM, and AMOS was the software that was utilized the most when analyzing the articles. Based on a comprehensive examination of 20 scholarly studies, a pivotal discovery emerged, indicating that EI substantially influenced workers’ performance. Consequently, this performance had a noteworthy effect on both the opportunities available to employees and the organization’s overall performance. Limitations make additional research possible. Scopus database was first used to ensure the caliber of the content. Therefore, this database only included indexed journals, possibly losing data. This study also omitted old research works to investigate to ensure information accuracy. Scopus-indexed papers were given priority in the study for content analysis. Articles are only shortlisted if they objectively meet the study’s objective standards. Furthermore, future research can distinguish between ideas and theories, look at causes and effects, and look at how emotional intelligence affects employee job satisfaction, organizational citizenship behavior, employee work-life balance, employee productivity, and employee retention. Finally, future researchers might expand their knowledge of the processes by which emotional intelligence impacts employee performance by investigating possible mediating and moderating variables, such as organisational culture, leadership style, and job characteristics.

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest regarding the publication of this paper.

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