The Intangible Human Side of Innovation: A Competency-Based View

In the last decades, the concept of emotional intelligence has radically changed the organizational environment by offering a new perspective on the main influences on performance at the individual level. Despite the evidence collected in a variety of organizational settings indicating that emotional intelligence affects several work, career and performance outcomes positively, limited attention has been devoted to its role in the success of the innovation process. This chapter contributes to shedding light on the role of emotional intelligence in enhancing innovative processes. It briefly relates the history of the concept of emotional intelligence and describes the different theoretical approaches that have contributed to its definition. Then, the relationship between behavioral competencies related to emotional intelligence and innovation is described, presenting the competency framework that will be adopted in the subsequent chapters.