The HR decision-maker’s emotional intelligence and SME performance

Deybbi Cuéllar Molina, Cruz Déniz-Déniz Mª and Antonia M. García-Cabrera

Management Research Review, 2019, vol. 43, issue 1, 56-81

Abstract: Purpose - This paper aims to examine the influence of the emotional intelligence (EI) of the human resources (HR) decision-maker on firm performance in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), as well as the possible mediating role of the use of a system of HR practices in that relationship. Design/methodology/approach - The research involves a sample of 157 managers responsible for HR in SMEs. SMEs are examined because in these firms, decisions are not usually adopted on a collegiate basis. It makes these firms an ideal context for studying the relationship between HR decision-maker’s EI and firm performance. Findings - Results show that the HR decision-maker’s EI determines firm performance in terms of generation of valuable HR and financial outcomes. They also confirm the mediating role of the system of HR practices in that relationship. Research limitations/implications - This research suggests that an adequate understanding of the importance of EI can guide efforts to boost SMEs competitiveness. Thus, as SMEs are an important part of the business fabric in the majority of developed economies, the implications of this study are significant. Originality/value - Findings in this research suggest that the workplace is not managed exclusively on a cognitive basis since emotional competences may play an important role in the HR management and SMEs’ performance.

Keywords: Human resource management; Human resource managers; Emotional intelligence; Small and medium-sized enterprises; Distal outcomes; High-performance human resources practices; Proximal outcomes (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2019
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.110 ... d&utm_campaign=repec (text/html)
https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.110 ... d&utm_campaign=repec (application/pdf)
Access to full text is restricted to subscribers

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eme:mrrpps:mrr-10-2018-0373

DOI: 10.1108/MRR-10-2018-0373

Access Statistics for this article

Management Research Review is currently edited by Dr Jay Janney and Prof Lerong He

More articles in Management Research Review from Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Emerald Support ().