What is an important criterion to determine success in business – Intelligence Quotient vs. Emotional Quotient? The debate of importance between IQ and EQ has been going on for quite some time. Some argue that IQ has been standardized over number of years and hence is a pretty good indicator of a person’s ability to deal with the challenges of business. On the other hand, there are people who make a case that IQ has nothing to do with the success of failure in business. It is how you deal with your own emotions and those of others that helps you succeed in business. So who is right? What is more important IQ or EQ? Let’s understand what they are and how they help a person succeed.
Intelligence Quotient (IQ)
IQ was invented in the early 20th century. Since then it has been the most common professional measure of person’s intelligence. It has been used in number of situations to determine person’ intelligence and his ability to perform certain tasks.
Due to 1971 ruling from US Supreme Court companies are barred from using IQ tests for hiring employees unless they are specifically related the job employees are required to perform. Because of which majority of companies do not administer these tests during job interview and instead resort to behavioral questions and tests. Companies can however use these tests to determine the performance of employees after they have been hired.
According to report published by Harvard Business Review IQ tests predict the performance of managers to a limited extent. They can measure someone’s vocabulary knowledge, or arithmetic and spatial skills, but many of those skills are not directly applicable to the workplace.
