Emotional Intelligence and Grit: A Critical Review of Existing Research

Description

Noopur Surti (Department of Management, Narayana Business School, Gujarat)

Non-cognitive skills are increasingly recognized as significant predictors of real-world success, with emotional intelligence (EI) and grit emerging as two of the most studied constructs in this domain. This paper presents a critical review of existing literature, synthesizing 35 sources identified through a Systematic Literature Review (SLR) methodology. Analysis reveals three key themes: a significant positive correlation between EI and grit, parallel associations of both constructs with variables such as academic performance, life satisfaction, and leadership, and their complementary roles as mediators and moderators in multidimensional frameworks. Findings suggest EI and grit are highly interrelated and positively associated constructs with similar behavioral outcomes across diverse populations. The paper identifies critical gaps including limited sub-variable analysis, over-reliance on student samples, and the absence of causal research, offering recommendations for future studies.