Development of a New Emotional Intelligence Tool for Facilitating Systemic, Second‐Order Change Among Individuals, Teams and Organizations

ABSTRACT The Developing Emotional Competency Questionnaire (DECQ) is designed to measure emotional intelligence (EI) to aid EI improvement within organizational interventions. It is unique in that one rates not only oneself but also one's work team and organization. It aims to induce mental constructs of EI at these three levels within a training intervention that focuses on systemic and second‐order change elements. This focus of the DECQ as a training tool to enhance EI necessitates balancing technical and psychometric concerns with utility and applied instructional realities. Thus, (a) measuring EI at three levels and (b) using this measurement as the foundation to train workforces about EI are the two distinctive qualities of the DECQ that distinguish it from other EI measures. Accordingly, it acts as both an instrument and an intervention. Archival, de‐identified data from 1058 individuals undergoing organizational consultations were accessed to maximize ecological validity. Internal consistency reliability, structural validity, factorial invariance and the normative foundation are presented. Findings are consistent with Goleman's EI model and recent revisions. Results provide initial support for DECQ ratings of self, work team and organization to identify EI strengths and weaknesses to target interventions.