Organisational Behaviour - Emotional and Congnitive Intelligence

1690 Words7 Pages
Cognitive intelligence and emotional intelligence have both been widely examined in regard to their effect on individual workplace performance. A critical examination and comparison of these two concepts will form the basis of this essay. Some theorists have hypothesized that emotional intelligence forms the foundation for several competencies that help an individual to perform more effectively in an organisational environment (Cherniss & Golemen, 2001). Whereas others have stipulated that cognitive intelligence is the foremost likely predictor for workplace performance because hiring people based on intelligence leads to significant workplace improvements that result in high economic value to the organisation (Schmidt & Hunter, 1998). Through exploration of both theories, and their respective strengths and weaknesses along with their practical applications, this essay aims to support the notion that both cognitive intelligence and emotional intelligence are equally important concepts that intertwine with each other in the field of organisational behaviour and cannot alone determine the success of an individual in the workplace. Building on this empirical foundation, research has provided methods by which managers can calculate the value of employing individuals based on IQ (intelligence quotient) and EIQ (emotional intelligence quotient) selections in their organizations (Stys & Brown, 2004). The purpose of these tests is to determine whether an individual’s workplace behaviour, personality and cognitive ability will lead to job success within the organisational structure. Workplace behaviours are functions of an individual's motivation to perform tasks. It is argued that Maslow’s ‘hierarchy of needs’ theory can accurately predict and identify workplace behaviours because “humans are primarily motivated by deficiencies in one or more important needs” (Griffin &
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