Dissertation Defense on why Emotional Intelligence is the key soft skill to have at every level of an organization, from the mailroom to the boardroom.

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THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN
EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE, LEADERSHIP
STYLE, AND LEADER EFFECTIVENESS:
A QUANTITATIVE CORRELATION STUDY
ARLENE PATRICIA BECKLES
NORTHCENTRAL UNIVERSITY
DISSERTATION CHAIR: DR. HENRY LUCKEL
SUBJECT MATTER EXPERT: DR. STEPHANIE HOON
ACADEMIC READER: DR. TANYA SETTLES

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AGENDA
▪ Introduction
▪ Literature Review
▪ Research Method
▪ Assumptions, Limitations, Delimitations
▪ Ethical Assurances
▪ Findings
▪ Implications and Recommendations
▪ Conclusions
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INTRODUCTION
▪ Emotional Intelligence (EI) strongly predicts effective leadership
and it is interpersonal skills that drive this relationship (Beckles,
2018).
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PROBLEM STATEMENT
▪ The problem addressed in this study was that the quantitative
contribution of emotional intelligence (EI) to leadership style and
leader effectiveness is unknown and therefore EI skills are not
effectively targeted when attempts are made to improve leader
effectiveness. Specifically, there is a need to understand the
relationship of leadership style, emotional intelligence, and leader
effectiveness in the information technology segment (Sudha,
Shahnawaz, & Farhat, 2016).
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PURPOSE STATEMENT
▪ The purpose of this quantitative correlation study was to analyze
how much emotional intelligence adds to leadership style and
leader effectiveness by assessing 132 employees in the
information technology (IT) sector. A more profound
understanding of the influence of emotional intelligence on IT
professionals’ leadership style in the context of effectiveness may
be valuable in managing change and reducing risks, thus
increasing success through effective relationships and productive
teams.
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THEORETICAL/CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK
• Self-mastery (Goleman,
1998)
• Individual success
(Antonokis, Ashkanasy &
Dashborough, 2009)
• Positive attitude (Nelson
& Low, 2011)
Emotional
Intelligence
Theory
• Know your self-worth
(Bass, 1997)
• Behaviors are universal
(Bass & Steidlmeir, 1999)
• Leadership is to coach
and develop (Kouzes &
Posner, 2012)
Leadership
Theory
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NATURE OF THE STUDY
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▪ Multiple correlation
shows association
(Meltzoff, 1998).
▪ Social experiments best
suited for quantitative
method (de Vaus, 2001).
▪ A quantitative correlation
using multiple regression
was utilized for this study
(Fields, 2013).
Design
Procedure
Methodology

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RESEARCH QUESTIONS
▪ RQ1. To what extent is a leader’s style predicted
by emotional intelligence skills?
▪ RQ2. Which sub-components of EI are most
strongly associated with each subcomponent of
leadership style?
▪ RQ3. What EI skills, if any, are significantly
related to effective leadership as measured by
each subcomponent of the MLQ’s Outcome of
Leadership?
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HYPOTHESES – RQ1
▪ RQ1. To what extent is a leader’s style predicted by emotional
intelligence skills?
▪ H10. Transformational leadership style is not predicted by a leader’s
emotional intelligence.
▪ H1a. Transformational leadership style is predicted by a leader’s emotional
intelligence.
▪ H20. Transactional leadership style is not predicted by a leader’s emotional
intelligence.
▪ H2a. Transactional leadership style is predicted by a leader’s emotional
intelligence.
▪ H30. Passive/Avoidant leadership style is not predicted by a leader’s
emotional intelligence.
▪ H3a. Passive/Avoidant leadership style is predicted by a leader’s emotional
intelligence.
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HYPOTHESES – RQ2
▪ RQ2. Which sub-components of EI are most strongly associated
with each subcomponent of leadership style?
▪ H40. Subcomponents of EI are not associated with transformational
leadership.
▪ H4a. Subcomponents of EI are associated with transformational leadership.
▪ H50. Subcomponents of EI are not associated with transactional leadership.
▪ H5a. Subcomponents of EI are associated with transactional leadership.
▪ H60. Subcomponents of EI are not associated with passive/avoidant
leadership.
▪ H6a. Subcomponents of EI are associated with passive/avoidant leadership.
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HYPOTHESES – RQ3
▪ RQ3. What EI skills, if any, are significantly related to effective
leadership as measured by each subcomponent of the MLQ’s
Outcome of Leadership?
▪ H70. EI skills are not related to outcomes of leadership.
▪ H7a. EI skills are related to outcomes of leadership.
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▪ Information technology professionals must stay effective and
competitive regardless of their position within an organization
(Latham, 2013).
▪ Emotional intelligence can greatly contribute to the growth and
sustainability of both the individual and the organization for which
they work (Lam & O’Higgins, 2013).
▪ Influence on leadership practices, and leaders on methods to
promote greater leadership potential in themselves and others
(Khon, Kim & Aidossova, 2016).
▪ Increase knowledge about the applicability of leadership style,
emotional intelligence, and leader effectiveness in the
information technology sector.
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SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

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DEFINITION OF TERMS
• Interpersonal Skills
• Leadership Skills
• Self-Management Skills
• Intrapersonal Skills
• Potential Problem Areas
Emotional
Intelligence
• Transactional
• Transformational
• Passive/Avoidant
Leadership
Styles
• Extra Effort
• Effectiveness
• Satisfaction
Outcomes of
Leadership
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REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE
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Literature
Areas
• Emotional Intelligence
• Leadership
• Leadership Practices
• Emotional Intelligence
and Leadership
• Emotional Intelligence
and Organizational
Culture
• Effective Leadership
Breakdown
• 142 peer-reviewed
articles between
2011 and 2018
• 39 peer-reviewed
articles between
1978 and 2010
 Empirical evidence justified the relationship between
emotional intelligence, leadership style, and the
outcomes of leadership.

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RESEARCH METHODOLOGY AND DESIGN
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▪ The selected methodology and design supports
→ Measuring possible relationships
→ Examining for correlation
→ Predicting an outcome
Quantitative
Correlation
Multiple
Regression

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POPULATION AND SAMPLE
• High School
• Some College
• Associates
• 4-year college degree
• Master’s
• Doctorate/Professional
Degree
• 35 – 44
• 45 – 54
• 55 – 65
• 6 – 10
• 11 – 15
• 16 – 20
• 21 or more
• Developer
• Business Analyst
• IT Support
• Quality Assurance
• Information
Specialist
• Project Manager
IT Job
Function
Years of
Experience
EducationAge
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MATERIAL/INSTRUMENTATION
Emotional
Intelligence
Training
Research
Institute
(EITRI)
• Emotional Skills Assessment Process-
International (ESAP-I)
• 87 questions
• EI Scores
Mind Garden
• Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire
(MLQ)
• 45 questions
• Leadership Scores
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OPERATIONAL DEFINITIONS OF
VARIABLES
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Emotional
Intelligence
(Independent
variable)
Leadership Style,
Outcomes of
Leadership
(Criterion variables)
Demographics
(Control variables)

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STUDY PROCEDURES
Plan
• Qualtrics
• FindParticipants.com
Do
• SPSS 24 Analysis
• Testing
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DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS
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Data Collection
• Self-Reporting
using combined
surveys
• Participants IT Job
Functions
• Electronic
Informed Consent
• Qualtrics
Data Analysis
• SPSS Version 24
• Descriptive
Statistics
• Multiple
Regression
Hypothesis
Testing
• RQ1 – Leadership
style predicted by
EI?
• RQ2 – EI
associated with
Leadership style?
• RQ3 – EI related
to Outcomes of
Leadership?

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ASSUMPTIONS, LIMITATIONS, AND
DELIMITATIONS
Assumptions
• Inaccurate responses
• Non-response
• Expected results
Limitations
• Preconceived views
• Alternative instruments
• Participant reflection
Delimitations
• IT Sector specific
• Participant pool
• Boundaries within methodology
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ETHICAL ASSURANCES
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IRB Approved November 6, 2017
Participant Risk Mitigation
Confidentiality
Data Security
Issues

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FINDINGS
▪ RQ1. To what extent is a leader’s style predicted by emotional
intelligence skills?
▪ RQ2. Which sub-components of EI are most strongly associated
with each subcomponent of leadership style?
▪ RQ3. What EI skills, if any, are significantly related to effective
leadership as measured by each subcomponent of the MLQ’s
Outcomes of Leadership?
→Further subdivided
→Types of leadership styles
→Uniqueness
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EVALUATION OF THE FINDINGS
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 Combined theories
 Organizational efficiency and
performance (Tyler, 2015)
 Cultivating new leaders (Bucata &
Rizescu, 2016)
 High performing individuals are key
 Skills grow with experience

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IMPLICATIONS
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RQ1
RQ2
RQ3
Consistent with previous findings (Ochalski, 2016; Gao,
Qu, Shi & Lu, 2012; Skogstad, et al. 2014)
Previous findings support (Anand & Udayasuriyan,
2010)
Azar and Asiabar, 2015 & Love, 2014 supports
effective leadership findings

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RECOMMENDATIONS
(PRACTICAL APPLICATION)
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Awareness
• Leaders can be found at all levels
of an organization Tyler (2015).
Analysis
• Who, What, Where and How?
Assessment
• Leadership training should be
issue-based and problem
focused Avolio and Bass (2004).

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RECOMMENDATIONS
(FUTURE RESEARCH)
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Learn
• Additional
sectors
• Ask more
questions
Build
• Investigate more
• Interpersonal
• Problem Areas
Interpretation
• Resulting
themes
• Individual
reports

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CONCLUSION
While the study results confirmed that emotional
intelligence predicts effective leadership, the literature
also supports that challenges will continue to exists with
project leadership and management Tyssen, Wald and
Speith (2014).
Thank you for your time.
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REFERENCES
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