Leadership and Emotional Intelligence

Although there were a number of positive correlations between various elements
of emotional intelligence and transformational leadership (facilitating thought,
understanding emotions and managing emotions), every single one of them was a
nonsignificant [sic] correlation. These findings are completely contrary to what
the prevailing literature suggests [emphasis added] (Weinberger, 2009, p. 758).
A limitation of the Weinberger (2009) study was that she used only one EI
instrument (the Mayer Salovey Caruso Emotional Intelligence test (MSCEIT; Mayer,
Salovey, Caruso, & Sitarenios, 2003). In addition, Weinberger (2009) acknowledged that
“benefits of emotional intelligence ... still need to be empirically confirmed” (p. 767).
Similarly, Northouse (2007) opined that “the intricacies of how emotional intelligence
relates to leadership” needs to be better understood (p. 24). This study is an undertaking
to accomplish that objective.
Another empirical study on EI was conducted by Muyia and Kacirek (2009).
Their research was limited in terms of the small sample size and focused on emerging
leaders only (vice leaders with more seniority, which is the purposefully selected
audience for the current study). Research subjects in a training program engaged in case
studies and “scenarios of defining moments that executives had faced and were forced to
address” (Muyia & Kacirek, 2009, p. 706). Similar findings as yielded by Weinberger
(2009) resonated: no statistically significant differences appeared in pre- and post-
training test scores on subject’s EI. Of note is that the Muyia and Kacirek (2009) and
Weinberger (2009) studies were quantitatively-oriented, a troubling trend as proffered by
Nafukho (2009).