Emotional intelligence, leadership style and organizational climate
International Journal of Organizational Analysis
ISSN: 1934-8835
Article publication date: 8 May 2017
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to investigate the effect of emotional intelligence (EI) on the leader’s applied leadership style (mediator) and the effect of this style on the employees’ organizational citizenship (responsibility, reward and warmth and support).
Design/methodology/approach
The researchers are proposing a model that highlights the mediating role of leadership style on the relationship between leaders’ EI and employees’ feeling of organizational climate. The study follows the quantitative process. A survey is prepared for data collection and for statistically testing the proposed model.
Findings
The results show that the leaders’ EI does affect his/her leadership style. Moreover, the leaders’ style affects directly the respective employees’ feeling of organizational climate to varying levels. The variance between different styles is found to be small.
Research limitations/implications
The limitations of this study include the minimal cross-check interviews. The sample size’s limitation resulted in the researchers’ inability to compare the different sub-sectors of the economy (labelled as the type of work of the firm) to derive deeper conclusions by economic/business sector.
Practical implications
The study reveals a number of practical implications affecting communication, performance, stability and tenure, and thereby lower turnover.
Social implications
The social implications of this study include the social relationships within the work-setting, higher empathy and higher levels of norming as a direct result of improving the leader’s EI level.
Originality/value
The paper is based on a sample of respondents with a new model suggested and tested scientifically, following a rigorous process. It assesses the impact of both EI and organizational climate with leadership style.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
The authors would like to thank all the colleagues who contributed through their reviews and opinions in making this research project successful. Moreover, the support of the many friends made it possible to complete this field study with no external funding.
Citation
Maamari, B.E. and Majdalani, J.F. (2017), "Emotional intelligence, leadership style and organizational climate", International Journal of Organizational Analysis, Vol. 25 No. 2, pp. 327-345. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJOA-04-2016-1010
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2017, Emerald Publishing Limited