Abstract
M.Comm.
The general purpose of this study is to investigate and identify whether a potential trend exists between emotional intelligence (EI) and effective leadership. This research will further more assist in determining whether possible trends exist between emotional intelligence and leadership and whether these leaders can be distinguished from others by means of leadership styles. Thus two specific leadership styles are investigated being transformational or transactional. Given the research literature an expectation exists that a statistically significant difference will be found between leadership effectiveness and EI. Leadership effectiveness refers to either transformational or transactional leadership. Insight will also be gained into whether male or female student leaders practice either transformation or transactional leadership styles. The existence of EI is identifiable with the effective leadership style of transformational leadership more than a transactional leadership style.
The sample was identified as the student leaders from 14 house committees as approved by the Dean of Students at the University of Johannesburg’s Auckland Park Kingsway campus. Approval to sample the current SRC members for the university was also obtained. The sample ultimately entailed 123 respondents (98.4%) of a possible 125 respondents from all the committees in the institution.
Two measuring instruments were utilised for the purpose of the study and were set up to test emotional intelligence and leadership. The statistical procedures utilised in the analysis of the data included demographic distributions, factor analyses and t-test.
The findings revealed that there was insufficient evidence to support the objective that specific trends exist between emotional intelligence and leadership effectiveness or whether EI relates more strongly with a transformational or transactional leadership style. There were however relevant relationships between female respondents and the transformational leadership style within the specific sample thus supporting a secondary objective of the study.