An exploration of emotional intelligence in virtual teams

Advanced technologies and the internet have enabled work arrangements not constrained by geographic proximity. One such work arrangement is the virtual team. This study explores the role of emotional intelligence (EI); the ability to perceive, use, understand and manage emotions in the self and others in a virtual team.; While EI research has provided substantial implications for leadership, quality of social interaction and performance in general, no known study examines the role of EI in virtual teams. Through a content analysis of a small virtual team's email archives over a two month period, and an assessment of individual differences in EI abilities, personality traits and general cognitive ability, it was found that these differences influence the communication style of email communicators. Furthermore, these effects were found to be moderated by the communicative intent of message senders.