An emotional intelligence model of entrepreneurial coping strategies

Purpose The purpose of this article is to recognize emotional intelligence (EI) as a specific competency possessed by entrepreneurs that facilitates their coping with stressors arise in day-to-day work. Highlighting the problem-focused and emotion-focused strategies employed entrepreneurs, paper establishes EI enables onset acceptance existence stressful situation optimism can be solved. Design/methodology/approach reviews literature on topics related links between EI, entrepreneurial behaviors coping. Subsequently, acceptance-avoidance motivation theory used posit entrepreneurs' serves an antecedent (1) guides selection through situation, (2) assists perceiving those situations either controllable or uncontrollable (3) shapes actual process which cope. Findings proposed conceptual model asserts reflected abilities perceive, use, understand regulate emotions key them being optimistic about solving accepting such well. Thereafter, strategy both ensues. Originality/value current work offers highlights role coping, integrates cognitive affective components suggests variety avenues for future research. This extends models categorize types specify thought involved. Understanding stress has theoretical practical implications are discussed