5. Discussion
The main motivation to conduct our study was to examine the underlying mechanisms by which an important component of project leader skill - EI is related to participants' collaboration satisfaction factors in integrated project setting. To understand the underlying mechanisms linking project leaders' EI and collaboration satisfaction we developed an EI model for IPD leaders first of all. Using this qualified framework of EI competence for leaders in project setting, we investigated the relationship between EI and collaboration satisfaction and inferred that this relationship may be mediated by leadership styles. In addition, we modified the FRL model in order to better understand leadership behaviors in construction organizations as well as proposed collaboration satisfaction criteria for tapping into IPD process. We argued that leadership styles are variables that imply an emotional bond connecting EI and collaboration satisfaction. As such, project leaders with high degree of EI tend to create more open communication atmosphere and choose positive leadership behaviors by creating an emotional encouragement for team members, which further promote participants' collaboration satisfaction.
To be more detailed, considering the four leadership styles, TFL and ATL had similar impacts on the outcomes. They both fully mediated the relationships of EI with PSC, ES, and IS, indicating that leaders high on EI may be more apt to integrate emotional consideration and apply incentive mechanism. In addition, as emotional leaders prefer to develop harmonious personal relationship, their EI still had influence on the RS. Passive-transactional leaders with strict characteristics prefer to achieve good performance and efficiency by supervising the subordinates to complete tasks.
