THE EFFECT OF TRANSFORMATIONAL LEADERSHIP STYLE ON EMPLOYEE COMMITMENT: THE MODERATING ROLE OF LEADER’S EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE

Abstract

The purpose of the current study was to examine the moderating role of emotional intelligence on the relationship between transformational leadership and organisational commitment. Previous research has shown that transformational leadership is related to organizational commitment. However, little attention has been paid to the possible moderators of this relationship. Therefore, this study aimed to bridge the gap in current literature by investigating how the relationship between transformational leadership and organizational commitment might change as a function of a personal resource (emotional intelligence). It was hypothesized that the positive relationship between transformational leadership and organizational commitment would be stronger for employees with high emotional intelligence than for those with low emotional intelligence. A total of 250 pupil teachers from various different basic schools in the Ho Municipality participated in the survey. The data was analyzed using SPSS version 23. Consistent with the literature, transformational leadership had strong positive relationships with organizational commitment. However, emotional intelligence did not moderate the relationship. It is suggested that basic school heads and teachers should be trained to adopt the transformational leadership style. It was also recommended that leaders in these basic schools should educate and train their employees on the importance of organizational commitment and the role emotional intelligence plays in achieving organizational goals.