The relationship between emotional intelligence and leadership practices

Abstract

PurposeThis paper seeks to explore the relationship between the emotional intelligence (EI) and transformational leadership practices of academic leaders in Taiwan and the USA. It aims to investigate whether cross‐cultural differences exist in academic leaders' EI, leadership practices, and the relationship between them.Design/methodology/approachThe study employs a casual‐comparative approach to draw cross‐cultural comparisons. Convenience samples of 50 academic leaders in Taiwan and 50 in the USA were selected as two comparison sample groups. Two instruments were selected to measure emotional intelligence and leadership effectiveness.FindingsResults of the correlational analyses indicate that Taiwanese participants' overall EI was found to be positively correlated in a statistically significant manner with all five areas of leadership practice. The US participants were found to have statistically significant positive relationships between overall emotional intelligence and all areas of leadership practice except Challenging the process, and Inspiring a shared vision. ANOVA results reveal that significant differences exist in distinct areas of EI and distinct areas of leadership practice as a function of cultural difference.Research limitations/implicationsAn important limitation of the present study is the probability of response bias resulting from self‐reported data.Originality/valueThe study has significance in three aspects. First, it investigates a less understood and explored issue: cross‐cultural differences in the relationship between emotional intelligence and leadership practices. Second, findings of the study make contributions to the body of research in a number of related disciplines, such as leadership effectiveness, emotional intelligence, cross‐cultural research on leadership, and cross‐cultural studies of emotional intelligence. Third, the results of the study bring significant insights into the field of cross‐cultural leadership development in the academic context.