Emotional intelligence and perspective-taking as drivers of creativity among mid-level managers in commercial banks in Ecuador.

This study aims to evaluate the relationship between emotional intelligence (EI) and creative performance (CP) in the workplace and their indirect association through perspective-taking (PT). The study applied surveys to 224 mid-level managers from large private banks in Ecuador. The research hypotheses were tested using Partial Least Squares-Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). The results indicate a significant positive relationship between EI and CP. Furthermore, PT serves as a mediator in that relationship, underscoring the importance of soft skills in fostering workplace creativity. Additionally, the relationships between EI subdimensions and the other variables are presented. This study contributes to the literature on EI and CP by identifying PT as a key interpersonal cognitive mechanism through which EI translates into CP. By positioning PT as the cognitive bridge linking EI and CP, this study offers a more nuanced explanation of the underlying psychological processes that connect emotional competencies with creativity, thereby extending both the emotional intelligence and creativity literatures, confirming the complementary explanation of this process by the Ability Model of EI, the social cognitive theory, and the dynamic componential theory of creativity. The theoretical implication is that integrating these theories into a coherent causal framework offers a more robust explanation of CP than considering each theory in isolation. From a practical standpoint, these findings suggest that organizations seeking to enhance CP should invest not only in enhancing employees' EI but also in cultivating PT as a critical interpersonal capability. Finally, the study introduces a new structural equation model with moderate explanatory and medium predictive power.