The Relationship Between Emotional Intelligence and Leadership Effectiveness Among Sponsored Research Administrators

OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this study was to determine if there is a significant relationship between the emotional intelligence of senior sponsored research administrators and their leadership (practices) effectiveness.

METHODOLOGY
The 302 participants involved in the data collection process for this study were senior level university sponsored research office professionals, who are employed at various post-secondary institutions in the southeastern United States (response rate = 28%). Leadership was measured with the Leadership Practices Inventory and emotional intelligence with the Bar-(1997) Emotional Intelligence Survey (EQ-i). The typical participant was female (63%), between the ages of 30 to 60 years, Caucasian (67%; Black = 30%), with a graduate degree (64.3%), an average of 9.3 years in research administration and 20.7 years of professional work experience, had a mean “average – adequate emotional intelligence” level of emotional intelligence.

KEY FINDINGS
Participants rated Enable as their most frequently used leadership practice, followed by Encourage and Model, then Challenge and Inspire. The only leadership practice that was significantly correlated with total (overall) emotional intelligence was Enable Others to Act, with a R2 = 40.8. Looking at the individual components of EQ revealed significant relationships between the leadership practice of Enable Others to Act and EQ components of interpersonal, empathy, social responsibility, impulse control, adaptability, problem-solving, general mood, and optimism. The following scales exhibited no significant correlation: Assertiveness, Reality Testing, Self-Regard, Flexibility, Emotional Self-Awareness, Intrapersonal, Interpersonal Relationship, Stress Management, Happiness, Independence, Stress Tolerance, and Self- Actualization. Various demographic variables (age, gender, years of work in sponsored research, and years of professional work) were not found to be related to emotional intelligence and leadership effectiveness.