Does gender moderate the relationship between emotional intelligence and leadership effectiveness?

Abstract

Aim: The purpose of this paper is to examine the impact of emotional intelligence (EI) on leadership effectiveness (LE) with a moderating effect of gender. Design/Methodology/Approach: Correlation, regression and multi-regression analysis were employed for a data collected by a self-administered questionnaire using a nonprobabilistic technique for a sample of 141 employees in Egypt’s FMCG. Findings/ Results: The results indicated that there is a positive significant relationship between EI (self emotional appraisal, others’ emotional appraisal, regulation of emotion and use of emotion) and LE. With the gender variable, the results of the basic multiple regression analysis conveyed that the most influencing and significant variable is others’ emotional appraisal, which explains that females are better than males in appraising others’ emotions, making them more effective as leaders than males. However, the hierarchical multiple regression analysis shows that gender does not have a significant role to play in the relationship between EI and LE. Limitations: The study relied on a single case study in one organization, which makes it difficult to generalize to other organisations. This study is conducted in Egypt, so it might be important to consider the values and beliefs of the Egyptian culture and how it impacts the roles of females and males differently within the workplace. Social and practical implications: Conducting this study within developing countries like Egypt contributes to the existing knowledge concerning the extent to which those predictors add to the academic implications. Moreover, it adds significant contribution to the practical implications in terms of applying those predictors in different organizations to enhance their performance and effectiveness. Originality: The study offers academic insights regarding research on the factors that are likely to impact and develop leadership effectiveness. Among those factors is the importance of EI in Egyptian workplace, which makes the study distinctive