The Influence of Emotional Intelligence on Employees’ Knowledge Sharing Attitude: The Case of a Commercial Bank in Thailand

Abstract

Knowledge Sharing has become recognized as an important strategy in business. The knowledge known, grown and shared by motivated employees in a culture nurtured for sharing of that knowledge can raise organizational innovation and performance to superior levels. Employees can be motivated to participate in activities to share and collect knowledge to deliver better ideas, and innovate in product and process improvements. However, the actual act of sharing can be influenced positively or negatively by both intrinsic and extrinsic motivation factors. Emotional Intelligence (EI) impacts how individuals perceive situations both professionally and personally, and it is also known to be an influential factor in shaping individuals’ attitudes and behaviours. This research provides evidence of how the employees’ emotional intelligence influences a positive attitude towards knowledge sharing. Further it applies the principles of EI in a sector of financial significance at a national level. Both the national and financial level environments can draw future benefits from this added knowledge of the EI emphasis which does not yet reflect extensive historical research and practitioner literature sources. Specifically, there is a coincidental convergence for applying the Asian culture tool used by this research, the Thai Emotional Intelligence Screening Test (TEIST) to support the major Thai commercial Banks which are already strategically expanding their Branch Networks into the other nine (9) countries of the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC).