Emotional Intelligence and Transformational Leadership Style Empirical Research on Public Schools in Jordan

The aim of this study is to investigate the relationship between emotional intelligence (EI) and transformational leadership (TL) style in public schools in Amman, Jordan. A sample consisting of 250 teachers was randomly selected to collect data on their managers’ EI competencies, which are self-awareness (SEA), self-management (SEM), social awareness (SOA), and relationship management (REM), and their TL behaviours using a questionnaire developed based on the literature for the purpose of the current study. All the questionnaires were returned completed and valid for statistical analysis. Four hypotheses were put forward by the study, in which EI was postulated to exert an impact on four dimensions of TL style, namely idealized influence (IDI), inspirational motivation (INM), intellectual stimulation (INS), and individualized consideration (INC). The study deduced a significant and positive effect of EI on all the dimensions of TL. A key contribution of this study is the finding that leaders need not only competencies to transform their subordinates but also a sense of emotional intelligence. Following these results, the implications of the study were derived. One of the most important recommendations indicated that managers have to be trained to acquire emotional intelligence skills.


Introduction
EI as a set of competencies enhances the skills of leaders directed toward developing and motivating employees to achieve the organization's vision (Antonakis et al., 2009).TL, on the other hand, as a set of leaders' characteristics, aims to influence employees' behaviours for the sake of achieving the organization's objectives (Lam & O'Higgins, 2013).Hence, both EI and TL are necessary to attain objectives.Researchers have defined EI in terms of numerous dimensions.The most common dimensions focus on SEA, SEM, SOA, and REM (Christie et al., 2015;Gardner & Stough, 2002;Hess & Bacigalupo, 2011;Hopkins et al., 2007;Kerr et al., 2006;Riggio & Reichard, 2008;Sharma, 2012).SEA is related to emotional self-awareness (E-SEA) and accurate self-assessment (A-SEA).SOA belongs to empathy (EMP), service orientation (SEO), and organizational awareness (ORA).SEM is connected with trustworthiness (TRT), conscientiousness (CON), adaptability (ADA), achievement drive (ACD), and initiative (INI).Finally, REM concerns communication (COM), developing others (DEO), influence (INF), leadership (LDR), conflict management (COM), change catalysts (CHCs), building bonds and teamwork (BBT), and collaboration (COL) (Gardner & Stough, 2002;Hess & Bacigalupo, 2011;Hopkins et al., 2007;Sharma, 2012).Researchers have also defined TL with regard to leaders' characteristics as representing their abilities to disseminate the organization's vision, develop their followers' abilities, and motivate their followers to act in favour of group interests (Mandell & Pherwani, 2003).The most common dimensions used for TL are IDI, INM, INS, and INC.Many studies have been conducted to investigate the relationship between EI and TL.Some studies have indicated that EI is significantly and positively related to TL (Lam & O'Higgins, 2013;Leban & Zulauf, 2004;Stanescui & Cicei, 2012;Tsai et al., 2011).Conversely, other studies have found no significant relationship between EI and TL (Genderen, 2012;Jayakody & Gamage, 2015).Therefore, the aim of this study was to explore the relationship between EI (SEA, SEM, SOA, and REM) and TL (IDI, INM, INS, and INC) in an educational setting from the Arab world, specifically Jordan, using a sample selected from public schools in Amman.The study was conducted in 2016 from teachers' perspectives using a reliable and valid questionnaire that was developed based on previous studies and related works.The main contribution to the body of knowledge can be found in the investigation of the relationship between EI and TL in the educational domain.This introduction is followed by a literature review and hypothesis development, in which both EI and TL are defined and conceptualized.The relationships between these two constructs are also discussed, and the study's model is presented.Section three provides the study's methodology.It comprises two main parts: the study sample and measurements.Section four, entitled data analysis and results, consists of the study's reliability and validity, a correlation matrix as well as hypothesis testing.Section five contains a discussion of the results and the conclusion.Finally, the research implications and directions for future studies are presented in section six.

Emotional Intelligence Definition and Dimensions
Hess and Bacigalupo (2011) cited three models on which researchers can rely to understand the term emotional intelligence.According to them, these models encompass how individuals approach different emotional conditions and how they adapt to these conditions; how individuals use their behaviours in self-assessment; and how individuals invest their emotions to enhance their performance on the basis of their abilities and skills.Hoffman and Frost (2006) defined EI in terms of three dimensions: awareness, understanding, and controlling one's own and others' emotions.For them, these dimensions involve abilities to recognize self-emotions with others' emotions and needs, competencies to understand emotional indications, utilizing emotions to expedite activities, and working with one's own and others' emotions and empathy.In their 2011 work, Hess and Bacigalupo outlined four dimensions of EI with more than sixteen characteristics.Barling et al. (2000) used five dimensions to describe emotional intelligence: understanding one's own and others' emotions, controlling one's emotions, managing one's own as well as others' emotions, and managing relationships.They adopted five dimensions of EI from Bar-On's (1997) self-report emotional intelligence inventory: stress management, adaptability, interpersonal, intrapersonal, and mood.Palmer et al. (2001) applied items from the Trait Meta Mood Scale developed by Salovey et al. (1995) to gauge emotional intelligence with regard to individuals' ability to be aware of their own and others' emotions besides the ability to manage these emotions.Gardner and Stough (2002) pointed out that researchers have conceptualized emotional intelligence using three main models, namely the ability model developed by Mayer and Salovey (1997), the competency model introduced by Bar-On (1997), and the non-cognitive model established by Goleman (2001).In their study on the relationship between leadership and emotional intelligence, Gardner and Stough (2002) used the Swinburne University Emotional Intelligence Test (SUEIT) developed by Palmer and Stough (2001), which consists of five dimensions, explicitly direct cognition of emotions, emotional recognition and expression, understanding of external emotions, control of emotions, and management.Downey et al. (2006) employed the same test (SUEIT) to measure emotional intelligence in female managers in Australia.Kerr et al. (2006) employed the Mayer-Salovey-Caruso Emotional Intelligence Test (MSCEIT) developed by Mayer et al. (2000) to measure the total level of emotional intelligence and abilities of individuals in four areas, specifically perceiving, understanding, using, and managing emotions.Stein et al. (2009) measured emotional intelligence using the Emotional Quotient Inventory developed by Bar-On (1997).Table 1 shows the dimensions and measures of emotional intelligence used in the literature.

Transformational Leadership Definition and Dimensions
Based on Bass and Avolio (1994), Mandell and Pherwani (2003) defined TL in terms of three characteristics: a leader's ability to disseminate the organization's vision, a leader's competency to develop his or her followers' abilities, and a leader's ability to motivate his or her followers to act in favour of group interests.According to Lam and O'Higgins (2013), TL can be defined based on leaders' ability to influence the behaviours of employees for the purpose of achieving the organization's objectives.As regards the dimensions of TL, Bass and Avolio's leadership model consists of five components, namely attributed idealized influence, behavioural idealized influence, inspirational motivation, intellectual stimulation, and individualized consideration.The model has been adopted by many researchers, for example Lam and O'Higgins (2013) and Stanescui and Cicei (2012).Table 2 presents the dimensions of transformational leadership used in the literature.

Dimensions
Reference (s) Idealized influence (attributed and behavioral), inspirational motivation, intellectual stimulation, and individualized consideration.

Relationship between Emotional Intelligence and Transformational Leadership
Both EI and TL are critical for organizations' success.Lam and O'Higgins (2013), based on a work conducted by Kupers and Weibler (2006), summarized the importance of EI in the context of TL.According to them, self-confidence and control, empathy, influence, organizational awareness, visionary leadership, and change catalysts affect the first dimension of transformational leadership, which is idealized influence.Secondly, achievement drive, initiative, empathy, developing others, communication, conflict management, and building bonds influence inspirational motivation.Thirdly, initiative, empathy, developing others, and change catalysts have an impact on intellectual stimulation.Finally, adaptability, empathy, communication, developing others, and conflict management affect individual consideration.In terms of related works, numerous researchers have studied the relationship between EI and TL style.Leban and Zulauf (2004) (2000).A questionnaire using a 5-point Likert scale ranging from 1 = strongly disagree to 5 = strongly agree was developed to collect data from the study respondents.

Reliability and Validity
Table 3 presents the results of the reliability and validity tests of the study measurements.The results confirm that these measurements are reliable and valid (α = 0.862 and 0.899, chi-square (χ 2 /df) < 2.0, root mean square error of approximation (RMSEA) < 0.080, and comparative fit index (CFI) > 0.9).

Correlation Matrix
Table 4 shows the means, standard deviations, and coefficients of the study variables.These results indicate that the EI dimensions are positively correlated with each other.The correlation coefficients range from 0.3 to 0.6.Additionally, the TL dimensions are related to each other and at the same time to the EI dimensions.The correlation coefficients range from 0.3 to 0.8.

Discussion and Conclusion
This study explored the relationship between EI and TL style in public schools in Amman, the capital city of Jordan.EI was measured based on four dimensions: SEA, SEM, SOA, and REM.TL was also assessed based on four dimensions: IDI, INM, INS, and INC.The results revealed that EI is positively related to IDI.Equally, the results indicated that EI significantly affects INC.As regards the relationship between EI and INM, the hypothesis was accepted.Finally, the findings found a positive effect of EI on INS. Figure 2   thers.

Table 3 .
Validity and reliability

Table 4 .
Means, standard deviations, and correlations of the study variables

Table 5 .
Results of the hypothesis testing displays the results of this study.