Emotional And Social Competency Inventory
Emotional and socialcompetency inventoryR ES E AR C H G UI D E A N D TECHNICAL MANUAL
Emotional and social competency inventoryResearch guide and technical manualThis document contains proprietary business information ofKorn Ferry and may be used by our clients solely for their internalpurposes. No part of this work may be copied or transferred to anyother expression or form without a license from Korn Ferry. Thisdocument should not be shared with other organizations, consultants,or vendors without the express written permission of Korn Ferry.For the sake of linguistic simplicity in this product, where themasculine form is used, the feminine form should always beunderstood to be included. Korn Ferry 2017. All rights reserved.www.kornferry.comESCI Research guide and technical manualVersion 17.1a—04/2017
Emotional intelligence is thecapacity for recognizing ourown and others’ feelings and formanaging emotions effectively,including motivating ourselvesand others.
Emotional and Social Competency Inventory – Research guide and technical manualIntroductionThis research guide and technical manual provides a detailed technical description of the Emotionaland Social Competency Inventory (ESCI). Developed by Richard Boyatzis, Daniel Goleman, andKorn Ferry Hay Group, the ESCI is used to assess and develop leaders’ and individual contributors’emotional and social intelligence competencies.The manual introduces the ESCI model and competencies, provides guidance on its use, and delvesdeeply into its psychometric-based properties, including the recent review of the ESCI database andnorm update.It also summarizes a number of empirical studies conducted by Richard Boyatzis, Korn Ferry HayGroup, and many other researchers that validate the ESCI and the behavioral measurement ofemotional and social intelligence.Richard BoyatzisDistinguished professor of organizational behavior at the WeatherheadSchool of Management at Case Western Reserve UniversityBoyatzis’ partnership with Korn Ferry Hay Group resulted in a validatedbehavioral measure of emotional intelligence. His research explores howpeople and organizations engage in sustainable, desired change, and hispublications include Primal Leadership: Learning to Lead with EmotionalIntelligence with Daniel Goleman and Annie McKee.Daniel GolemanCo-Director of the Consortium for Research on Emotional Intelligence inOrganizationsIn Working with Emotional Intelligence, Goleman presented studies of thecompetencies that distinguish outstanding performers in a large range oforganizations, resulting in the development of the ESCI. He co-foundedthe Consortium for Research on Emotional Intelligence in Organizations,catalyzing research on the contribution of EI to workplace effectiveness.ContributorsRichard Boyatzis, Distinguished Professor of Organizational Behavior,Case Western Reserve UniversitySamantha Guise, Technical Author, Korn Ferry Hay GroupSarah Hezlett, Senior Assessment Scientist, Korn Ferry InstitutePaula Kerr, Senior Manager, Korn Ferry InstituteStephen Lams, Talent Product Manager, Korn Ferry Hay Group Korn Ferry 2017. All rights reserved.i
Emotional and Social Competency Inventory – Research guide and technical manualSummaryWhy EI continues to make a differenceWhen emotional intelligence (EI) became part of our everyday language in the 1990s, twodecades of research had already established the significance of competencies. Derived fromstudies of performance, and using self and others’ perceptions, competencies demonstratedstrong relationships to important workplace outcomes. Richard Boyatzis and Dan Goleman’s workfocused on a specific group of competencies that were showing strong relationships to outstandingperformance for leaders and individual contributors: the emotional and social intelligence (SI)competencies.Since then, interest in and measurement of EI has grown globally. Korn Ferry Hay Group’s ongoingdevelopment work with Boyatzis and Goleman has resulted in the Emotional and Social CompetencyInventory (ESCI), a validated measure of emotional and social intelligence and an extensive sourceof behavioral data. It is used by business organizations, education institutions, researchers, andindependent consultants and coaches.Since our last review in 2010, the ESCI database has grown from 4,000 to nearly 80,000 participants,from 42,000 to nearly 700,000 non-self raters, and from 270 to over 2,200 organizations. Based onthis growth, Korn Ferry Hay Group has updated the ESCI global norms, reviewed its psychometricbased properties, and gathered the most recent research so that practitioners can share the mostcurrent findings.What this manual coversThis research guide and technical manual presents an update on the ESCI’s psychometric-basedproperties and a summary of recent research studies and findings. It includes: Reliability data: A reassessment of the ESCI’s internal consistency with a much larger and morediverse sample, as well as interrater estimates. Validity data: Summaries of validity studies carried out with the ESCI or ESCI-U (the education/university version). These include Korn Ferry Hay Group’s review of ESCI data alongside our othermeasures of leadership and employee effectiveness and several independent research studiescarried out with participants in a range of roles and organizations. Effect size data: A more practical alternative to norm tables, providing the opportunity toquantify and explore differences between participant groups by region, country, age, gender,job family, job level, and industry. These data also explore interesting differences betweenparticipants’ self scores and rater scores, reinforcing the importance of gathering 360-degreebehavioral data.The manual includes a full introduction to the ESCI model and its 12 competencies and how theyare measured, scored, and reported. It describes the development of the ESCI and ESCI-U. Italso provides ESCI practitioners with guidance on how to use the ESCI and ESCI-U to delivermeaningful feedback that equips leaders, employees, and students to develop their capabilities in thecompetencies that can make the biggest difference to their own and others’ overall performance.ii Korn Ferry 2017. All rights reserved.
Emotional and Social Competency Inventory – Research guide and technical manualWhat the 2016 ESCI data revealOur own review of ESCI data in relation to other key behavioral data, alongside the independent ESCIstudies, has reinforced the central role that emotional and social intelligence competencies play inemployee and leadership performance.EI supports employee and leadership performanceIndependent studies continue to spotlight emotional and social intelligence competencies asdifferentiators of outstanding performance across a range of roles. They confirm that 360-degreebehavioral measures, such as the ESCI, are valuable predictors of performance.Emotional self-awareness remains the cornerstone of EIConfirmed as a solid foundation for a range of capabilities, individuals who demonstrate Emotionalself-awareness consistently are also likely to: Demonstrate an average of 10 ESCI competencies consistently (ESCI strengths). Make frequent use of four long-term leadership styles that have the most positive impact on theirteam’s work climate and performance. (See “Does EI strengthen a leader’s approach?” in Section3.5.1.) Create the most positive work climates for their team members.EI as a key predictor of leadership effectivenessA number of ESCI competencies are emerging as predictors of leadership effectiveness: Leaders with high scores in Conflict management are likely to make frequent use of four longterm leadership styles and restrain their use of the two short-term styles, consequently creatingthe most positive climates and having team members who intend to stay five years or longer. Inspirational leadership and Empathy follow close behind in their positive relationships withlong-term leadership styles, team climate, and employee retention.EI as a key predictor of employee effectiveness, engagement, and innovationHigher ESCI competency scores relate to increased employee effectiveness scores across all driversof employee engagement and enablement: Demonstrating six or more ESCI competencies consistently can equip a leader to make frequentuse of the long-term leadership styles, create a positive team climate, and encourage a majorityof team members to stay five years or longer. Demonstrating three or fewer ESCI strengths relates to below average leadership strength and amajority of team members planning to leave within five years. Demonstrating no ESCI strengths typically results in bottom quartile leadership strength and over10% of team members planning to leave within just one year. Korn Ferry 2017. All rights reserved.iii
Emotional and Social Competency Inventory – Research guide and technical manualContentsIntroduction. i1. Assessing emotional and social intelligence competencies. 11.1 What is emotional and social intelligence?. 11.2 Measuring emotional and social intelligence. 11.3 The ESCI model. 21.4 The competencies measured by the ESCI. 31.5 The ESCI-U.41.6 How ESCI data are gathered.41.7 How the ESCI is scored. 52. Delivering ESCI feedback. 72.1 Using the ESCI and ESCI-U. 72.2 Sharing ESCI feedback.92.3 The ESCI feedback report. 102.4 The ESCI group report.113. The scientific foundation for the ESCI.133.1 The development of the ESCI.133.2 The 2016 review.183.3 Reliability.213.4 Model fit.233.5 Criterion validity. 243.6 Criterion validity studies using the ECI or ECI-U. 434. Developing EI and SI.515. Differences in EI and SI scores by key demographic variables.536. References.777. Appendix A. ESCI: Behavioral level of Emotional and Social Intelligence.81 Korn Ferry 2017. All rights reserved.v
Emotional and Social Competency Inventory – Research guide and technical manual1. Assessing emotional and social intelligence competenciesThe focus of behavioral EI is competencies. Identified from studies ofperformance, and subject to performance-based criteria, emotional andsocial intelligence competencies are closely related to work and lifeoutcomes.1.1 What is emotional and social intelligence?Emotional intelligence is the capacity for recognizing our own feelings and those of others, formotivating ourselves, and for managing emotions effectively in ourselves and others. An emotionaland social competency is a learned capacity, based on emotional intelligence, which contributes toeffective performance at work.1.2 Measuring emotional and social intelligenceThe Emotional and Social Competency Inventory (ESCI) is a 360-degree survey designed to assess 12competencies that differentiate outstanding from average performance at work. The ESCI measuresthe demonstration of individuals’ behaviors through their perceptions and those of their raters,making it distinct from measures of EI that assess ability, self-assessments of ability, or personalitypreferences. Appendix A describes in more detail how the ESCI stands out conceptually from otherapproaches to measuring emotional and social intelligence.“We find that most of the characteristics that differentiate outstanding performers are these thingsthat we call social and emotional competencies.”Richard Boyatzis – Distinguished Professor of Organizational Behavior at the Weatherhead School of Management at CaseWestern Reserve University Korn Ferry 2017. All rights reserved.1
Emotional and Social Competency Inventory – Research guide and technical manual1.3 The ESCI modelThe 12 competencies cover four distinct areas of emotional and social intelligence as developed anddocumented by Richard Boyatzis and Daniel Goleman since 1996.Figure 1. The ESCI lawarenessSelfmanagementRelationshipmanagement Korn Ferry 2017. All rights reserved.Performance
Emotional and Social Competency Inventory – Research guide and technical manual1.4 The competencies measured by the ESCIEach competency is carefully defined so that it is distinct from the others, easy to comprehend, andproperly summarizes its behavioral indicators. Listed below are the definitions of each cluster in themodel and the competencies within it:Self-awarenessRecognizing and understanding our own emotions, captured in the competency: Emotional self-awareness: The ability to understand our own emotions and their effects on ourperformance.Self-managementEffectively managing our own emotions: Emotional self-control: The ability to keep disruptive emotions and impulses in check andmaintain our effectiveness under stressful or hostile conditions. Achievement orientation: Striving to meet or exceed a standard of excellence; looking for waysto do things better, set challenging goals and take calculated risks. Positive outlook: The ability to see the positive in people, situations and events and ourpersistence in pursuing goals despite obstacles and setbacks. Adaptability: Flexibility in handling change, juggling multiple demands and adapting our ideas orapproaches.Social awarenessRecognizing and understanding the emotions of others: Empathy: The ability to sense others’ feelings and perspectives, taking an active interest in theirconcerns and picking up cues to what is being felt and thought. Organizational awareness: The ability to read a group’s emotional currents and powerrelationships, identifying influencers, networks and dynamics.Relationship managementApplying emotional understanding in our dealings with others: Influence: The ability to have a positive impact on others, persuading or convincing others inorder to gain their support. Coach and mentor: The ability to foster the long-term learning or development of others bygiving feedback and support. Conflict management: The ability to help others through emotional or tense situations, tactfullybringing disagreements into the open and finding solutions all can endorse. Inspirational leadership: The ability to inspire and guide individuals and groups to get the jobdone, and to bring out the best in others. Teamwork: The ability to work with others toward a shared goal; participating actively, sharingresponsibility and rewards and contributing to the capability of the team. Korn Ferry 2017. All rights reserved.3
Emotional and Social Competency Inventory – Research guide and technical manual1.5 The ESCI-UStudents’ emotional and social competencies are measured using the ESCI-U, the education/university version of the ESCI.Two additional competencies cover areas of cognitive ability relevant to the performance of studentsin further and higher education: Systems thinking and Pattern recognition.1.6 How ESCI data are gatheredA 360-degree perspectiveThe ESCI is primarily used to gather 360-degree feedback data. Participants can choose to receivefeedback from five groups of raters: their manager, team members, peers, clients/customers, andothers. This provides participants with a range of perspectives on their behaviors.Use of self-assessment scoresSelf-assessment data alone may be useful as the basis for developmental discussion, but theydo not provide valid and reliable measures of emotionally and socially intelligent behavior. The2016 data confirm that individuals who score low in Emotional self-awareness are more likely tosignificantly overrate themselves in other competencies (average Cohen’s d of 1.02), while thosescoring high in Emotional self-awareness are more likely to moderately underrate themselves(average Cohen’s d of -0.55).Using valid dataWhen using the ESCI, it is important to recognize that not all of the data collected may be usable.When the instrument is scored by Korn Ferry Hay Group, we discard data from a rater if the numberof “don't know” responses exceeds 25%, indicating that the rater does not have enough informationto accurately assess the participant. We therefore recommend that participants choose raters withwhom they work on a regular basis, or who know them well.To preserve raters’ confidentiality, we also insist on a minimum of two raters in each rating category(with the exception of the participant’s manager, where a single rater is permitted). If there is onlyone rater in a category, we do not include that category of rater in the final scores. Rater categoriescan also be combined to preserve confidentiality, if appropriate.Finally, securing an accurate assessment of a participant’s emotional intelligence requires multipleraters. Each rater observes different aspects of the participant, which means that any one individual'sperspective may be partial or skewed. We recommend a minimum of four to five raters, preferablywith different perspectives of the participant drawn from different contexts.4 Korn Ferry 2017. All rights reserved.
Emotional and Social Competency Inventory – Research guide and technical manual1.7 How the ESCI is scoredWhat does a competency score represent?ESCI data are scored against a frequency range. Scores indicate how characteristic a behavior is foran individual. Raters are asked to assess how consistently an individual demonstrates the behaviordescribed by each item on a five-point scale ranging as follows:NeverRarelySometimesOftenConsistentlyEach rater perspective is weighted equally. Scores are averaged across the relevant rater group (i.e.,team members, peers, etc.). The “total others” score for each competency is the average across allrater groups (except self ratings). Raters’ surveys are accepted if they provide responses to 75% ofthe survey items.An ESCI competency is considered to be a strength when the total others score—the average of allraters’ scores—is 4.3 or higher, meaning that the behavior is observed consistently.Raters are asked how well they know the performance of the person for whom they are providingfeedback. Responses, in a range from “Not at all well” to “Extremely well” are gathered for eachrater group and reported as a percentage. This helps the participant make sense of their feedbackin context: the higher the familiarity level, the more significant their raters’ feedback is for them. If arater responds “Not at all well,” that rater’s survey responses are automatically rejected.The level of rater agreement for rater groups with two or more raters is also reported as apercentage. The more consistent the scores within a rater group, the higher the agreement.Agreement level is determined from the difference between the highest and lowest raters’ scores asa percentage of the range of possible scores. Agreement can be low for a number of reasons. It mayindicate that some raters are less familiar with a participant than others, or that raters interact withthe participant in different situations and observe different behaviors.The ESCI report allows participants to benchmark their scores against the norm group. The scores ofparticipants at the 25th and 75th percentiles are shown for each competency in the feedback report.Providing rater group choices and scores from the norm group presents participants with a broadperspective of how they are behaving across their work situations, as perceived by the differentindividuals and groups with whom they interact. Korn Ferry 2017. All rights reserved.5
Emotional and Social Competency Inventory – Research guide and technical manual2. Delivering ESCI feedbackThe ESCI shows participants how others experience their behavior interms of the consistency with which they demonstrate emotional andsocial competencies. It helps participants appreciate their strengths,recognize how consistently they do certain things, and identify whatthey can do to be even more effective.ESCI feedback can only be delivered by certified practitioners. For information on ESCI certification,contact your account manager. Use of the ESCI-U does not require certification.The ESCI certification program helps practitioners gain a thorough understanding of the assessmentand the feedback report and to experience and follow best practice in delivering ESCI data. Thefollowing is a summary—more detail is provided in the ESCI certification program materials.2.1 Using the ESCI and ESCI-UThe ESCI and ESCI-U are used by practitioners for assessment and development and by researchersfor studying the role of emotional intelligence in learning and performance. ESCI feedback canbenefit individuals and groups in different roles and in a range of contexts.In organizationsAt a group level, the ESCI can provide valuable data about human resource capability in business, notfor-profit, and public sector organizations. It is used to establish workforce strengths and developmentneeds. Repeat use of the ESCI (e.g., retesting every year or so) enables organizations to respondquickly to capability issues and provides a summary of the condition of their human capital.At an individual level, the ESCI—often combined with coaching—can help leaders and key contributorsdetermine what outstanding performance means for them within their role and decide whichcompetencies they want to work on.The ESCI is not intended for use in HR resource management activities: selection, promotion, salarydecisions, etc. Each competency measured by the ESCI may or may not be relevant to a specificjob; therefore, it is inappropriate to use for resource decisions without first validating it againstthe performance requirements for that job. In addition, 360-degree assessment processes can beproblematic when raters—participants and others—know that the data will be used to inform resourcedecisions.The ESCI is best suited to development. The range of competencies that it measures is broad, providingfeedback that participants can interpret in terms of their work context and their wider view of theirown personal characteristics.Korn Ferry Hay Group offers an extensive range of products and services to support the developmentof EI capabilities, including structured individual and leadership development training programs,workbooks, e-learning, and the new, self-directed FYI for your improvement: Emotional Intelligencedevelopment guide. Please contact an account manager for the latest information on our offerings.“The rules for work are changing. We’re being judged by a new yardstick: not just by how smart we are,but by how we handle ourselves and each other.”Daniel Goleman – Working with Emotional Intelligence (p. 3, 1998) Korn Ferry 2017. All rights reserved.7
Emotional and Social Competency Inventory – Research guide and technical manualIn educationStudents’ competencies are measured using the ESCI-U, the education/university version of the ESCI.This assessment is widely used in colleges and universities by educators who see EI competenciesas the building blocks of students’ capacity to understand and work with others, understandand motivate themselves, and learn effectively. Some institutions use the ESCI-U as an outcomeassessment across their student population to determine what their students are learning. This isuseful in program improvements and accreditation reviews. Others use it to help students becomemore self-aware and engaged learners and to help teaching staff respond more effectively to theirstudents’ needs.In researchWe welcome research proposals from those using the ESCI. If your proposal meets our criteria, youwill be offered access to our self-serve website for data collection. In return, we ask that you provideus with a copy of your research data and results.Choosing the right instrument for the situationOur ESCI and ESCI-U instruments are available for use with specific participants in specific types oforganizations:Table 1. ESCI and ESCI-U8ESCIESCI-UPurposeFor use in business organizations(public and private).For use in universities, colleges,schools (with post-16 students).ParticipantsLeaders, managers, professionals,and individual contributors.Pre- or post-graduate studentswith limited work experience.CompetenciesThe 12 emotional and socialintelligence competencies.The 12 emotional and socialintelligence competencies, plus twocognitive competencies: Systemsthinking and Pattern recognition.BenchmarkingExtensive global norm groupacross roles and industries.Not benchmarked.Rater and feedbackchoicesData gathered from and reportedacross five rater categories:manager, team member, peer,client/customer, other.Data gathered from and reportedacross two rater categories: selfand others (i.e., no subdivision ofother raters).CertificationCertification is required to provideESCI feedback.Certification is not required to usethe ESCI-U.DeliveryOnline: self-service and full service.Online self-service, and paperbased.Languages (determinedby demand)The ESCI survey, feedback report,and group report are currentlyavailable in 39 languages.Translation of the ESCI-U surveyand feedback report into thesame languages as the ESCI is inprogress. Korn Ferry 2017. All rights reserved.
Emotional and Social Competency Inventory – Research guide and technical manual2.2 Sharing ESCI feedbackCertified practitioners are encouraged to use the following coaching framework when sharing ESCIfeedback:Introducing the process: The participant and coach discuss how they will work together and contracton important issues, e.g., confidentiality.Setting the context: A discussion about the participant’s role, current challenges, and career and lifeaspirations so that both understand what the participant hopes to gain from the feedback process.Explaining EI: The coach supports the participant’s understanding of EI and the ESCI model.Encouraging self-assessment: A discussion of the participant’s view of their own strengths anddevelopment needs. The coach assesses the participant’s self-awareness and identifies any potentialblind spots.Explaining the ESCI report: An explanation of the ESCI assessment and report format. A discussionabout the people whom the participant approached for feedback and the participant’s relationshipwith them.Exploring the data: The coach helps the participant make sense of their feedback data in relation tothe participant’s perceptions of their personal characteristics, the demands of their work contexts,and the priorities of their roles. Discussing a participant’s ESCI feedback involves open explorationand the testing of any hypotheses that the coach has formed when reviewing the data, in particular: Any areas of surprise or concern at the summary level. Any gaps between the participant’s self-assessment and raters’ perceptions (total others). Any patterns surfacing in the responses of the different rater groups. The potential reasons for different perceptions. Any areas of detail that the participant wants to explore or that are critical to their role. Korn Ferry 2017. All rights reserved.9
Emotional and Social Competency Inventory – Research guide and technical manual2.3 The ESCI feedback reportThe ESCI feedback report provides an overview of the emot
Korn Ferry Hay Group, the ESCI is used to assess and develop leaders’ and individual contributors’ emotional and social intelligence competencies. The manual introduces the ESCI model and competencies, provides guidance on its use, and delves deeply into its psychometric-based properties, including the recent review of the ESCI database and
the Wong and Law Emotional Intelligence Scale (WLEIS) (Wong & Law, 2002) for self-report EI, and the Bar-On Emotional Quotient Inventory (EQ-i) (Bar-On, 2000, 2002) and the Emotional Competency Inventory (ECI) (Wolff, 2006) for mixed EI. The ECI was revised to become the Emotional and Social Competency Inventory (ESCI) (Boyatzis, Brizz, & Godwin,
2.6.1 Emotional and Social Competency Inventory 51 2.6.2 Emotional Quotient Inventory 52 2.6.3 Mayer-Salovey-Caruso Emotional Intelligence Test 53 2.6.4 Trait Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire 54 2.7 EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE- RELATED STUDIES 55 2.8 EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE IN EDUCATION 58
The emotional quotient is defined into three basic components, viz, (based on the questionnaire tool developed by Dr. Dalip Singh and Dr. NK Chadha) Emotional Competency, Emotional Maturity and Emotional Sensitivity. I. Emotional Competency Many emotional competencies have been identified and
Emotional Competence Inventory 38 The Emotional and Social Competency Inventory (ESCI) 39 Mayer-Salovey-Caruso Emotional Intelligence Test (MSCEIT) 40 Self-rated Emotional Intelligence Scale (SREIS) 43 Popularity of the Concept of EI 43 References 44 3 Success and Emotional Intelligence 47-65
4.4.1 The Emotional and Social Competency Inventory (ESCI) 47 4.4.2 Permission to use ESCI for research purposes 47 4.4.3 Description of the Emotional and Social Competency Inventory 48 4.4.3.1 Description of the twelve emotional intelligence competencies 49 4.4.4 Psychometric properties of the Emotional and Social
The Emotional Competency Inventory (ECI; Hay Group, 2005), its newer edition called as 'Emotional and Social Competency Inventory' (ESCI; Hay Group, 2011) or its group version called 'Group Emotional Competence Inventory' (GECI; Koman, Wolff & Howard, 2008) highlight the 'mixed' approach to measurement of EI.
UNESCO EDUCATION SECTOR 5 Systems thinking competency Anticipatory competency Normative competency Strategic competency Collaboration competency Critical thinking Self-awareness competency Integrated problem-solving competency Promotion of key competencies for sustainability ESD enables all individuals to contribute to achieving the SDGs by equipping them
utilize self-report measures of emotional intelligence. Bar-On’s model is measured using the Emotion Quotient Inventory (EQ-i) and Goleman’s model is measured using the Emotional Competency Inventory (ECI), the Emotional Intelligence Appraisal (EIA), and the Work Profile Questionnaire – Emotional Intelligence Version (WPQei).
