Relationship between Creativity and Emotional Intelligence in Sport Organizations: A Gender Comparison

Abstract This study aimed to investigate a relationship between creativity and emotional intelligence elements in sport organizations. The study population includes 250 Iranian participants who were serving in different sport organizations including 125 males (Mage = 52.8 years, SD = 6.2years) and 125 females (Mage =45.3 years, SD = 4.6 years). Three instruments have been used in this survey: (i) General information questionnaire (ii) Emotional Intelligence questionnaire (iii) Creativity questionnaires (RAUDSEPP). The findings achieved through emotional intelligence and creativity questionnaires demonstrated that men and women were different in some aspects of relationship between creativity and emotional intelligence elements. Positive relationship between creativity and all elements of emotional intelligence except between creativity and controlling emotion element have been found. Other findings discussed various aspects of emotional intelligence and creativity in both genders. We can conclude that cognitive and behavioral systems of men and women are functionally distinct; so, existence of conflict in relationship between EI and creativity in men and women participants in this study may be due to gender differences.