Abstract:

Success in contemporary, complex projects demands more than technical expertise. Over the past two decades, the emotional intelligence (EI) of project personnel has emerged as a vital factor influencing leadership efficacy, team wellbeing, and overall project outcomes. However, existing studies largely isolate EI at single levels: personal, team, or institutional – missing crucial interconnections. Furthermore, the literature frequently adopts EI as an undisputed asset, often ignoring conceptual boundary debates, the psychological toll of coerced emotional labor, and entrenched institutional resistance. Addressing these gaps, this study employs a systematic review of 119 empirical project studies, guided by the social-symbolic works (SSW) framework. The analysis reveals EI’s multi-tiered impact across micro (self-regulation), meso (organizational collaboration), and macro (institutional governance) domains. Crucially, it highlights paradoxes where EI is instrumentalized for strategic influence or depleted by systemic power asymmetries. By mapping these boundary conditions, this integrative lens bridges project management and organizational psychology, demonstrating how projects can serve as catalysts for inclusive innovation and collaborative success. The review exposes contextual blind spots, contrasting the hierarchical application of EI in traditional infrastructure megaprojects with its role as a decentralized, peer-to-peer capability in agile environments. Finally, the study underscores the need for longitudinal and interpretivist methodologies. For practitioners and policymakers, it provides actionable insights to structurally embed EI across project lifecycles and governance models. By moving beyond isolated individual coaching to dismantle adversarial industry cultures, organizations can foster psychologically safe, sustainable environments where diverse project communities can truly thrive together.

Please choose your submission type: Full Paper

Primary Track: Project Experiences

Keywords: Project Behaviour;Project Governance;Project Leadership;Organisational Context;Responsible Project Management;Other

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Mrs. Nancy Khialani