Emotional intelligence abilities and project performance: the mediating role of trust and stress in the construction industry of Pakistan

In the construction industry, project performance is often closely tied to the individuals comprising the project team. This study examines the impact of emotional intelligence (EI) on project performance in the construction sector, particularly in contexts of trust and stress. Drawing on Affective Events Theory (AET) and EI-based performance theory, this study proposes a model to investigate the link between EI and project performance while exploring how trust and stress mediate this relationship. The model was tested with structural equation modelling (SEM) on data from 574 respondents in the construction industry of Pakistan. The results indicate that all dimensions of EI significantly impact project performance, except for the dimension related to understanding others’ emotions. Trust strongly mediates the relationship between EI dimensions and project performance. Conversely, stress negatively influences this relationship, contrasting with the positive mediation effect of trust. This research enriches existing literature by proposing a model that integrates AET and EI performance theory to enhance employee performance in the construction industry. The findings strongly suggest incorporating validated EI assessments into recruitment and supervisor development in construction firms. Management should institutionalize a participative climate that builds trust and deploy periodic stress checks to sustain performance in projects.