The role of emotional intelligence in improving communication in virtual project teams
This Master Thesis looks at how emotional intelligence can improve communication in virtual project teams. It also offers a practical, research-based framework to help project managers deal with common communication problems. As virtual teamwork becomes more common, being able to communicate clearly...
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| Tipo de recurso: | tesis de maestría |
| Fecha de publicación: | 2025 |
| País: | España |
| Institución: | Universidad del País Vasco |
| Repositorio: | Addi. Archivo Digital para la Docencia y la Investigación |
| OAI Identifier: | oai:addi.ehu.eus:10810/75409 |
| Acceso en línea: | http://hdl.handle.net/10810/75409 |
| Access Level: | acceso abierto |
| Palabra clave: | emotional intelligence virtual teams remote project management communication in teams |
| Sumario: | This Master Thesis looks at how emotional intelligence can improve communication in virtual project teams. It also offers a practical, research-based framework to help project managers deal with common communication problems. As virtual teamwork becomes more common, being able to communicate clearly and build trust is now more important than ever. But virtual teams often struggle with things like low psychological safety, poor conflict resolution, cultural misunderstandings, and weak team connections. Emotional intelligence can help with all of these, because it encourages empathy, openness, and self-awareness, which are key skills for remote teamwork. To reach its goal, the study used desk research and a survey. Eleven project managers and thirty two project team members took part. The literature review looked at barriers to communication, emotional intelligence models, and strategies for facilitation. The survey showed which methods were seen as helpful in real team settings. The study found the main communication challenges and identified emotionally intelligent strategies to respond to them. These included talking openly, handling emotions during conflict, setting inclusive team norms, and recognizing individual contributions. The main outcome of the study is the TRUST Framework. This is a simple and flexible tool to support communication in virtual teams using emotional intelligence. TRUST stands for: Talk openly to build psychological safety, Regulate discussions for inclusive decision-making, Understand emotions during conflict, Spotlight and celebrate contributions, and Transform mistakes into learning opportunities. Each part of the framework includes clear actions that project managers can start using right away. The TRUST Framework brings value by turning academic ideas into practical steps for team leaders. While it has not yet been tested in real-world projects, it gives a useful starting point for improving communication, engagement, and team well-being in virtual environments. By using this framework, project managers can help build more inclusive, emotionally aware teams that work better together and achieve long-term success. |
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