An exploratory qualitative study of the relationship between an educational leader’s emotional intelligence and effective teams
Abstract
Since the passage of the No Child Left Behind Act, the work of educators has become
more demanding and complex. Not only is the work more difficult, the current era of
accountability subjects teachers and educational leaders to more public scrutiny. This
challenging work, coupled with increased accountability, is a formula for an intensely
emotional environment. Leaders in education are charged with successfully managing this
emotional environment. Because teams are such prevalent structures in organizations,
emotional intelligence is often demonstrated through a leader’s work with teams he or she
supervises. The purpose of this phenomenological case study was to explore the relationship
between the emotional intelligence of educational leaders and the perceived effectiveness of
teams they supervise. This qualitative research was conducted using the theoretical tradition
of phenomenology. It was informed through heuristic research and narrative inquiry. The
themes of the conceptual framework supporting this research are emotions, intelligence, leadership, and team effectiveness. Separately, there has been a substantial amount of
research done on each of these themes. But there are fewer studies that analyze emotional
intelligence in the context of leadership and team effectiveness. Adding to this body of
knowledge can potentially help leaders use emotional intelligence and enable teams to be
more effective.
Table of Contents
Introduction -- Review of Literature -- Methodology -- Results and discussion -- Recommendations -- Appendix A. Leader questionnaire -- Appendix B. Individual leader interview questions -- Appendix C. Focus group interview questions -- Appendix D. Leader writing prompt -- Appendix E. Focus group writing prompt
Degree
Ed.D.