Emotional Intelligence and Self-Esteem in the Workplace: A Review of Literature

Abstract

This paper studied the impact of emotional intelligence (EI) and self-esteem (SI) on employees’ workplace dynamics. A systematic review can benefit the area by identifying the terminology and measures used by researchers and by highlighting the empirical gaps. We systematically reviewed quantitative and qualitative papers on EI and SE on employees’ workplace dynamics published in English up from 2000 up to 2024.  A literature search was conducted using prominent databases, including Springer, Scopus, ResearchGate, and Google Scholar, and 30 papers met the inclusion criteria. Within these, the themes explored how the EI and SE influence the emotional regulation, leadership styles, teamwork and satisfaction of the employees in the job. The findings suggested that employees with high EI are more aligned at managing interpersonal relationships, improving trust and adapting to the organizational changes which lead to the enhancement of their work productivity. Moreover, SI appears to play a crucial role in making decisions and effectiveness to leadership style, contributing to the job fulfillment and workplace commitment. We conclude that research has consistently shown a positive relationship between EI and SI on workplace productivity. Future directions and suggestions that could be looked at within the field are discussed.