The influence of emotional intelligence on leadership styles: A profile of executives in ASEZA organization

• Author: Enas Ali Al‐Momani,Abed Al‐Fatah Karasneh
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.1002/pa.2069
• Published date: 01 August 2020
• Date: 01 August 2020

ACADEMIC PAPER

The influence of emotional intelligence on leadership styles: A

profile of executives in ASEZA organization

Abed Al-Fatah Karasneh|Enas Ali Al-Momani

Business Department, Yarmouk University,

Irbid, Jordan

Correspondence

Abed Al-Fatah Karasneh, Business

Department, Yarmouk University, Shafiq

Irshidat Street, Irbid, Jordan.

Email: akarasneh@yu.edu.jo

This article reports new insight into the relationship between emotional intelligence

(EI) dimensions and leadership style at the Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority

(ASEZA). Multiple regression results have revealed a negative significant association

between EI and leadership style in three major dimensions of EI, namely, self-aware-

ness, motivation, and empathy. Stepwise regression analysis revealed a significant

positive association of self-regulation and social skills dimensions on ASEZA's leader-

ship style. Results further indicated that there are no significant differences between

the dimensions of EI and demographic factors as well as between leadership and

undertaken demographic factors. However, no research has focused on the relation-

ship between EI and leadership style in ASEZA-Jordan context. The current research

identified this gap in the literature by connecting leadership through EI. Implications

are that leaders lacking all or some EI dimensions are less likely to have a healthy rela-

tionship with their subordinates and are likely to be classified as being ineffective

leaders. Organizations could benefit from being able to differentiate ineffective

leaders from leaders who suffer from some or all EI dimensions. Therefore, the lack

of some major EI dimensions in an organization like ASEZA negatively influences its

competitive advantage as well as its performance.

1|INTRODUCTION

The notion of emotional intelligence (EI) is still progressing and grab-

bing the attention of researchers and managers of business and public

corporations alike. This notion is based on an extensive background of

research and theory in personality and social psychology (Mayer &

Salovey, 1993). To maintain their competitive advantage, organiza-

tions nowadays live in a constant mode of rapid change. This change

requires organizations to have human assets that are adaptive to

change, innovative, productive, customer centred, and most impor-

tantly profit makers (Chatterjee & Kulakli, 2015). Therefore, the exis-

tence of leaders with such qualities plays a decisive role in

maintaining the organization's status and competitive edge. The rela-

tionship between EI and leadership styles mainly transformational

leadership (TL) has been widely confirmed in previous studies

(e.g., Chatterjee & Kulakli, 2015; Higgs & Aitken, 2003; Inceoglu,

Thomas, Chub, Plans, & Gerbasi, 2018; Sadri, 2012). Mayer and

Salovey (1993, p. 434) perceive EI as the “ability to advantageously

deal with one's own emotions and those of others in problem-solving

and decision-making.”

Prior studies and research studies have recognized the impor-

tance of EI as it has a direct effect on the charisma of people and their

behaviours, and skills to communicate together. Johnson and Julie

Indvik (1999) indicate that EI tends to have a greater effect on individ-

ual and group; it further tends to increase employee motivation, pro-

ductivity, and profit. Chatterjee and Kulakli (2015) indicate that EI has

been identified, through the popular press and some researchers as

that critical element needed for effective leadership. Goleman (1998,

p. 94) indicates that “the most effective leaders are alike in one crucial

way; they all have a high degree of what has come to be known as

emotional intelligence.”This ability helps mangers to have good com-

munication with their employees, understand their needs, solve their

problems, and motivate them to have better performance (Alston,

Barbara, & Sosa-Fey, 2010).

To the best of the authors' knowledge, the relationship between

EI and leadership is still unknown and experiences a dearth in the

Received: 27 May 2019Revised: 18 October 2019Accepted: 4 December 2019

DOI: 10.1002/pa.2069

J Public Affairs. 2020;20:e2069.wileyonlinelibrary.com/journal/pa© 2019 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd1of7

https://doi.org/10.1002/pa.2069