Emotional intelligence: The key to mitigating stress and fostering trust among software developers working on information system projects

The successful accomplishment of information systems development (ISD) activities is reliant on the efforts of developers, who are largely responsible for creating the required system artefacts. Developers encounter numerous obstacles in their efforts to successfully complete activities, such as the need to develop software within highly-complex broad-ranging projects. These problems increase levels of stress, which subsequently affect developers' ability to self-regulate their feelings and understanding. However, only scant attention has been paid to their personal skills and competency in overcoming these issues. This study therefore aimed to bridge this gap by exploring the impact of developers' emotional intelligence on stress, trust, and performance. Our empirical results show that emotional intelligence mitigates stress and fosters trust among software developers working on information system projects. Additionally, role ambiguity increases the effect of stress on performance.