An assessment of impacts of emotional intelligence on the power plant teams' effectiveness and the success on project management: Eskom generation

Dlamini, Qiniso

An assessment of impacts of emotional intelligence on the power plant teams' effectiveness and the success on project management: Eskom generation

Thesis / Dissertation

2026

Publisher

University of Cape Town

Department

Department of Construction Economics and Management

Faculty

Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment

Abstract

This study investigates the role of Emotional Intelligence (EI) in enhancing team effectiveness and project management success within ESKOM Generation, a South African power generation company. The research problem stems from the limited understanding of how EI influences team dynamics and project outcomes in high stakes, technical environments like power plants. The study aims to assess the impact of EI on team relations, evaluate the influence of project managers' EI on team effectiveness, and examine the relationship between EI and project success in power plant operations. A quantitative research design was employed, utilising structured questionnaires to collect data from 133 of which 101 responses from engineers, project managers, and coordinators at ESKOM Generation. Descriptive statistics, correlation, and regression analyses were conducted to analyse the data. Key findings reveal a significant positive relationship between EI and team effectiveness, with EI acting as a mediator between project management expertise and project success. Three measures or factors of EI have been treated as independent variables. Team Communication obtaining p-value p=0.001<0.05, B=0.743 suggest, there is a significant and positive impact of team communication on the team effectiveness. From this perspective, it can be established that the key characteristics of EI such as team communication has a significant and positive influence on the project success at ESKOM Generation. Also, the value of p=0.221 >0.05, B=0.093 suggest self and social awareness characteristics of EI does not have a significant impact on the project success. However, in the case of Team Communication, the obtained p-value p=0.001<0.05, B=0. 485 suggest, there is a significant and positive impact of team communication on the project success as also unstandardized Beta coefficient has been reported as positive in value. Similarly, the same goes for the variable Relationship Management and Conflict Resolution as the p-value has appeared lesser than the threshold of 0.05. From this perspective, it can be established that the key characteristics of EI have a significant and positive influence on the project success at ESKOM Generation. The study concludes that EI is a critical factor in achieving project success, particularly in high pressure environments. It argues that integrating EI into leadership training and team development programs can significantly improve team cohesion and project performance. The findings contribute to the existing literature by highlighting the mediating role of EI in bridging technical expertise and project success, offering practical implications for organisations in the power generation sector and beyond. Future research should explore long-term impacts of EI training and its application across different industries.

Keywords

Project Management

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