Nicholas Clarke - University of Southhampton

His paper won the prize for the best paper in HRDI.

He began engaging the audience with his slides that had some nice pictures and images (getting a few laughs in the process).

He discussed how the concept of emotional intelligence (EI) is not completely clearly agreed upon by all authors. He started a divergence of EI as competencies and traits (mixed models) and cognitive abilities. There was a useful slide that discussed the differences between the two models that are developing within the literature.

Wow, there is somebody else here in this presentation that is using a laptop. That makes 3 people, including me, who I have seen using in a presentation here.

EI — associated with leadership and building social capital, networks, and teamwork.There is some resaerch that is beginning to come up in the literature.

There is beginning to be a shift in the management literature to show that perhaps there is something that EI may be important.

But, the interesting question is CAN emotional intelligence be taught and if so, does it make a difference. What is the evidence that this can be done and is teachable?

He then discussed some of his previous study, and at this point I am getting confused as to what he is trying to do with this research. He then wrote about the research project he really used, where he wanted to investigate team diaries from MBA students. Those individuals that gave evidence of EI, it was when teams met more than once a week and had team conflict followed by conflict resolution.

Interesting that all the power outlets I have seen here in the hotel have their own on/off switches. I wonder if this is a British requirement or only happens here.

There were some interesting and most polite questions. I have noticed that many of the questions that are asked in an academic conference are polite and collegial. I wonder if this is to further develop knowledge or because this group of people often know one another.

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