Does emotional intelligence impact service innovation capabilities? Exploring the role of diversity climate and innovation culture

Purpose The study examines the impact of emotional intelligence on service innovation capabilities. Furthermore, it explored the mediating role of diversity climate and the moderating role of innovation culture. Design/methodology/approach An online questionnaire helped to collect data from 257 public sector employees in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The proposed hypotheses were analysed using structural equation modelling. Findings Building on the ability model, the study found that employees' emotional intelligence has a positive impact on diversity climate; that diversity climate does not mediate the relationship between emotional intelligence and service innovation capabilities and that innovation culture has a moderating effect between diversity climate and service innovation capabilities. Originality/value The paper clarifies the emotional intelligence of the workforce and its ability to influence innovation culture and diversity climate in public organisations, ultimately benefiting service innovation capability research. As such, the study contributes to the literature by proposing and analysing some antecedents of service innovation capabilities in the context of public organisations. The study also offers policymakers information on what prevents innovation, which they can use to raise the bar on service quality requirements in the public sector.