Artificial emotional intelligence for project management: a VIKOR-based prioritization of human-centric enablers and adoption strategies

Purpose The study aims to address the limited empirical understanding of how artificial emotional intelligence (AEI) can enhance collaboration, communication, and creativity in project management environments. It identifies the most influential human-centric AEI enablers and evaluates alternative adoption strategies to recommend a balanced and effective implementation pathway. Design/methodology/approach A content-driven literature review was conducted to derive human-centric enablers and AEI adoption strategies. Expert opinions were collected from 42 experienced project management professionals in India using a five-point Likert scale survey. Best worst method (BWM) and entropy weighting approaches were applied to calculate the importance of enablers, while the Vlse Kriterijumska Optimizacija Kompromisno Resenje (VIKOR) multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) technique was used to rank the adoption strategies. Sensitivity analysis was performed to ensure stability of the results. Findings Psychological safety reinforcement, decision support intelligence, creativity stimulation and trust building capability emerged as the most critical AEI enablers. Among adoption strategies, AEI-supported collaboration tools were identified as the optimal compromise solution for enhancing human-centric outcomes in project teams. Leadership capability development and ethical governance also demonstrated strong influence on successful AEI readiness. The sensitivity results confirmed the robustness of the strategic rankings. Research limitations/implications The sample is limited to experts from India, and the findings are based on perceptual responses using an MCDM framework, which may influence generalizability. Practical implications The study provides actionable guidance for organizations planning to integrate AEI technologies into project management practices, highlighting where to focus investment and capability development for maximum human-centric value. Originality/value This research contributes conceptually by positioning AEI as a human-centric socio-technical capability in project management and methodologically by offering a structured decision-support framework to prioritize AEI adoption strategies beyond purely technical or efficiency-driven perspectives.