Culturally Tuned Emotional Intelligence: A Tripartite Cultural Analysis

Abstract

This article is concerned with culturally tuned emotional intelligence (CTEI) as an effective cross-cultural management tool. Cultural values create a commonality among its members in how they interpret and subsequently respond to emotional issues. Improving management understanding of employee emotions may enhance both productivity and quality of life in the workplace. Management of culturally diverse environments requires both the ability to meet intellectual challenges and emotional strategies to empathize with and motivate employees. CTEI may promote positive emotions and behaviors that lead to success, and minimize negative ones that waste company resources.
This paper uses the tripartite conceptualization of culture including the national culture level, professional culture level and organizational culture level. The Emotional Process Model (Druskat & Wolfe, 2001) is used to illustrate the influence of culture on the emotional responses of employees. Case studies are presented for each of the three cultural areas, depicting varying emotional responses to management initiatives. These examples provide a cultural lens that may be used by managers to better understand the emotions of culturally diverse employees. This exploratory paper attempts to extend the basic understanding of emotional intelligence by using a cultural perspective.