Researchers investigated dimensions of emotional intelligence (EI) by measuring related
concepts, such as social skills, interpersonal competence, psychological maturity and emotional
awareness, long before the term "emotional intelligence" came into use. Grade school teachers
have been teaching the rudiments of emotional intelligence since 1978, with the development of
the Self Science Curriculum and the teaching of classes such as "social development," "social
and emotional learning," and "personal intelligence," all aimed at "raise[ing] the level of social
and emotional competence" (Goleman, 1995: 262). Social scientists are just beginning to
uncover the relationship of EI to other phenomenon, e.g., leadership (Ashforth and Humphrey,
1995), group performance (Williams & Sternberg, 1988), individual performance,
interpersonal/social exchange, managing change, and conducting performance evaluations
(Goleman, 1995). And according to Goleman (1995: 160), "Emotional intelligence, the skills
that help people harmonize, should become increasingly valued as a workplace asset in the
years to come."
 
 
 (Informaion provided by Cornell University)