EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE OF LEADERS AND INNOVATIVE WORK BEHAVIOUR AT A WORK: A SYSTEMATIC LITERATURE REVIEW AND DIRECTIONS FOR FUTURE RESEARCH

Abstract

Employee attitudes, interpersonal interactions, and workplace outcomes increasingly depend on emotional intelligence in leadership. Companies must innovate to compete in fast-changing business settings. This article analyses how EI might boost organisational creativity and innovation. A systematic literature review examines how leaders' emotional intelligence affects workers' innovative work behaviour, focusing on processes and contextual factors that foster creativity, idealization, promotion, and execution. The review identifies study topics, hypotheses, methodological patterns, mediating and moderating variables, and literature gaps by synthesising theoretical and empirical studies. The findings imply that emotionally intelligent leaders can identify and control emotions, form supportive connections, create psychologically secure work environments, and innovate. Leadership, employee engagement, psychological empowerment, organisational climate, trust, knowledge sharing, and perceived organisational support may improve this link. Literature is fragmented by cross-sectional research, self-reported evaluations, and limited cultural and organisational contexts Future research should examine longitudinal and multilevel designs, industry- and culture-specific variants, and psychological and organisational aspects linking leaders' emotional intelligence to innovative work behaviour. This review suggests leadership theory, research, and practice.