Emotional intelligence, voice and flow: a team-level study of work teams

Purpose This paper aims to investigate how emotional intelligence and voice climate interact with flow in work teams. Design/methodology/approach The authors used multilevel structural equation modeling to analyze the nested data (individuals within teams). A total of 42 work teams (166 full-time employees) from the service industry participated in this research. Findings The results showed that emotional intelligence and voice behavior are positively associated with flow experience at the individual level. It was also demonstrated that emotional intelligence exerts partial influence on flow via individual voice behavior. At the team level, the authors only found a positive relationship between emotional intelligence and flow. Originality/value This research fills the knowledge gap of flow’s antecedents in teams. Members who are emotional intelligent and active in making suggestions to teams are more likely to experience flow in teams. Practitioners should be able to facilitate flow in the workplace through implementing training modules related to emotion appraisal/regulation and effective voice behavior.