Abstract:

This study conceptually investigates the role of emotional intelligence (EQ) in the relationship between cognitive and affective trust in human–AI strategic decision-making processes. Despite AI technology’s reliability in analytical decision-making, its value alignment with human ethics has not been established. Leaders who are EQ competent can open a dialogue about the limitations and possibilities of the technology that emphasizes a human-centric dialogue, fostering trust in the technology (Glikson & Woolley, 2020; Contini et al., 2024).

The theoretical framework of this study draws from Mayer and Salovey’s (2004) model of EQ competence and Goleman’s (1998) application of the framework to practical and leadership contexts. These theoretical frameworks will be relied upon to understand the role of EQ in developing cognitive trust and affective trust in human-AI strategic decision-making processes. This study also attempts to link its findings to the body of literature on trust, translating existing knowledge into the emerging EQ trust AI triangle conceptualisation (Glikson & Woolley, 2020; Zhang et al., 2020).

A structured systematic literature review (SSLR) method was used to source peer-reviewed academic publications on the Scopus database. Publication dates ranged from 2015 to 2025. The searches targeted publications containing the following keywords: ‘emotional intelligence’, ‘AI trust’, ‘strategic decision-making’, and ‘human-AI collaboration’. Publication screening used a two-phase screening process based on clear inclusion and exclusion criteria. Only publications relevant to this study’s theoretical framework were retained. Thematic coding was applied to publications to identify gaps in the current literature on the emerging EQ trust AI triangle concept. From a conceptual perspective, the structured scanning of the publication material clearly links emotional intelligence with trust in AI technology-based strategic decision-making processes. This study contributes to ongoing debates on artificial intelligence, strategic governance, ethical leadership, and governance practices. The EQ-based leadership perspective introduced in this study introduces a governance framework oriented toward long-term sustainability goals and incorporating trust-oriented infrastructure in AI systems for strategic leadership decision-making. Combining emotional intelligence theory with AI trust models develops an integrated conceptual framework for ethical humane leadership, humane artificial intelligence systems, and trust-oriented decision-making processes.

Please choose your submission type: Full Paper

Primary Track: Strategy

Keywords: strategy;resources and capabilities;Strategy

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Dr. Esin Yucel