Emotional intelligence and negotiation styles: key factors for effective negotiation in the context of agribusiness

Purpose It is well known that emotionally intelligent individuals achieve outstanding results. A plausible but unverified explanation is that they negotiate with a style that requires special emotional capacities. The objective of the study was to examine the relationship between emotional intelligence and negotiation styles in the context of agribusiness. Design/methodology/approach A quantitative and explanatory design was adopted, involving 126 university students from Mexico and Spain. Through canonical discriminant analysis, the dimensions of emotional intelligence (self-awareness, self-regulation, social awareness and relationship management) and individual traits (associated with gender, experience and culture) that distinguish five negotiation styles recognized in the literature were identified. Findings Participants who selected the negotiation style labelled tough relationship builder were the ones who stood out from the rest of the styles. The attributes that distinguished these participants were the ability to control their own emotions and impulses to adapt to changing circumstances and induce change (self-regulation); a professional background (degree studied) and a culture (nationality) influenced by the principles of competition and free markets and experience closely observing or participating in negotiation activities (due to the existence of an agricultural business in the family context). Research limitations/implications The study does not confirm the mediating effect of negotiation styles between emotional intelligence and performance, but it contributes to the segment of the causal chain that is most lacking in knowledge: the relationship between emotional intelligence and negotiation styles. Furthermore, emotional intelligence was measured through a self-report test rather than a performance test and negotiation style was determined by preference rather than practice. Originality/value This is the first study to analyse the relationship between emotional intelligence and negotiation styles. It provides contributions to the field of negotiation, in which the agribusiness context appears to have an influence.