Business
I. Summary
The article by Lam and O’Higgins examines the interrelation between leadership style, the managers’ influences in terms of emotional intelligence and its outcome to the employees. The study evolves around the context of exploring the mediating effect of transformational leadership to employee outcomes and the manager’s emotional intelligence. The tenets of this study is to identify the impact of an organizational leader’s capacity to change employee outcomes in terms of dealing with job stress, job satisfaction and organizational commitment. About 323 participants from two major organizations in Shanghai China were sampled including managers and subordinates, wherein their emotional intelligence was measured using the Wong Emotional Intelligence Scale (WEIS) (Lam and O’Higgins, 2011).
According to the findings of the study, there were a strong interrelation between the employee’s job satisfaction and the managers’ emotional intelligence. On the other hand, transformational leadership was found to have no mediating effect on employee performance and the managers’ emotional intelligence, job stress and organizational commitment. Furthermore, the theoretical framework presented in the article is consisting of tenets on emotional intelligence, which is said to be as important as the intellectual intelligence and technical skills. Leadership styles also vary according to their characteristic of influencing followers. However, among the three classification of leadership transformational leadership was said to be the most effective. This is because transformational leadership enables the leader to transform the values, needs, aspirations and preferences of followers to make them more committed to their tasks and being able to convince the follower to make significant sacrifices for the interest of the mission and for followers to go the extra mile (Shamir et al., 1993, p. 577 as cited from Lam and O’Higgins, 2011).
II. Key Learning Points
The first among the many key-learning points from Lam and O’Higgins article is the general characteristics of transformational leadership. The other leadership styles such as transactional and Laissez-faire provides a very different approach wherein the leader would either use instrumental components to motivate followers or totally avoiding the leadership responsibilities.
Previous studies suggested that transformational leadership possesses distinct components that apply more preferably to the tenets of emotional intelligence. In transformational leadership, the leader demonstrates influence of idealism. It emphasizes taking stand on difficult issues, trust and presenting important personal and cultural values. There is also a presence of inspirational motivation wherein the leader articulates his vision of the future for the organization and the followers on the other hand are motivated to challenge their own standards (Lam and O’Higgins, 2011). Intellectual stimulation on the other hand incorporates a strong influence to stimulate new perspectives and subject his employees to follow innovation with encouragement to new reasons and ideas. The last important component of transformational leadership is the ability of the leader to make individual considerations. In most cases, managers and other organizational leaders tend to generalize their views about their employees, which leave no room for individuality and individual growth. Transformational leaders’ considers the vital strength of their followers in terms of abilities, development and aspirations through coaching and giving advice (Lam and O’Higgins, 2011).
It was apparent from the study that transformational leadership has a positive relationship with the managers’ emotional intelligence. The fact that transformational leadership is consists of individualized consideration and inspirational motivation; it is therefore encompasses the elements of emotional intelligence defined by the ability to emotionally motivate oneself and other people (Barling et al., 2000; Duckett and Macfarlane, 2003; Leban and Zulauf, 2004; Palmer et al., 2001; Sivanathan and Fekken, 2002; Palmer et al. 2001, p. 8 as cited from Lam and O’Higgins, 2011).
The sum of the correlation between transformational leadership and emotional intelligence is mainly the employee outcomes. The described effects of such combination have resulted to a positive outcome on the employees in terms of higher job satisfaction due to the leader’s motivational, influential and behavioral considerations. Employees tend to demonstrate positive work attitude if the leaders are considerably concerned about the employee’s development and continuous mentoring activity. The ability of the leader to take emphasis on his employee’s well being, growth and potential creates an environment that is conducive for productivity.
III. Selected Statements for Argument
Statement #1 – “The study revealed that managers’ emotional intelligence could be a characteristic that directly influences the development and maintenance of transformational leadership” (Lam and O’Higgins, 2011, p.164).
It can be agreed that emotional intelligence could be a pre-requisite to the maintenance and development of transformational leadership because people with high emotional intelligence can understand, respond and perceive their and others’ emotions better than the other individuals (Warner, 2011; Fazlani et al., 2012). The Internal factors that directly affects reform in management and governance may cause disruptive changes that involve lack of clarity and uncertainty among employees (Warner, 2011; Mwangi, Mukulu and Kabare, 2011). Emotional intelligence allows organization leaders to deal with the aforementioned problems through proper mitigation (Modassir, 2008).
Statement #2 – “It has been suggested that emotional intelligence can be learned, taught and improved through continuous reinforcement in adulthood” (Bar-On, 1997; Goleman,
1996, 1998a as cited from Lam and O’Higgins, 2011, p. 166).
It is true that emotional intelligence can be learned throughout life. Segal and Smith (2011), suggested in their online article the five key abilities in EQ that can be developed by means of reducing stress, connecting emotions, engaging in non-verbal communication, the use of play and humor in the work place and positively resolving conflicts. Others may argue that there was not enough research to conclude the emotional intelligence can be learned (PSP Metics, N.D.). However, schools of thought are suggesting that highly intelligent executives were promoted to their position not because of their threshold qualifications, but also because of their level of emotional intelligence (Goleman, N.D; Harvard Business School, 2008).
Statement #3 – “Transformational leadership is the most effective leadership style” (Lam and O’Higgins, 2011, p. 166).
There is no arguing that transactional leadership is the best approach for managers to consider within the workplace. Apart from having a high emotional intelligence, communication and inspiration also takes part in leadership. In this type of leadership, the managers for instance are seriously listening to the insights of their staff and use challenging assumptions that would inspire employees (Riaz and Haider, 2010; Judge et al., 2006). In addition, this leadership style was also being considered in several fields of practice such as education and a good example of that is the agricultural education’s view of leadership as a fundamental component in the field (Greiman, 2009). Moreover, transactional leadership was proven to have raised awareness among, subordinates, followers, colleagues, constituents and clients on certain issues and consequences (Garg and Krishnan, 2003).
Statement #4 – “Emotional intelligence plays no part in the positive outcomes of employee’s performance and organization commitment” (Lam and O’Higgins, 2011, p. 164).
The study about the interrelations between emotional intelligence to transactional leadership appeared to be eminent. However, the statement stipulating that emotional intelligence has no relationship to employees’ positive outcome in terms of performance and commitment is a subject for disagreement. Emotional intelligence plays a crucial role improving employee performance because such characteristic of an organizational leader allows them use emotions to facilitate thinking, interpret signals of emotional distress, and managing emotions in order to attain the organization’s goals (Bapna, Shrivastava and Chitnis, 2011). When a leader knows how to restrain his or her emotional dilemmas, he would be able to communicate very well with his employees (Segrest, N.D.). Managers that can easily get carried away by their emotional outburst tend to demonstrate unethical behavior that may offend or implicate demoralization among the employees (Cobb et al., 2008: Kulkarni, Janakiram and Kumar, 2009).
IV. Critical Analysis
I. The article is explores the interrelation of manager’s emotional intelligence and leadership in terms of enhancing employee outcomes. Its objective is to find the connection between transformational leadership to emotional intelligence that is perceived as the fundamental characteristic that enables a positive outcome of employee performance.
1. Title - Enhancing employee outcomes: The interrelated influences of managers’
Intelligence and leadership style.
2. Authors – Cheok San Lam and Eleanor R.E. O’Higgins
3. Publication information – This issue was published by Emerald and the article can be found in full text at www.emeraldinsight.com
4. Statement of topic and purpose – The authors have provided a concise and direct statement pertaining to the interrelationship of two different subjects such as leadership style and emotional intelligence. That particular topic was selected to provide evidence of their attribution to enhancing employee outcomes. It is apparent that organizational leaders are the main models of the organization in terms of values and related positive behaviors. However, it is also necessary to identify the interrelating factors that command’s the potential mediating effects of the interrelation to actually improving staff’s job performance. The study comes in a timely manner when organizational leaders are in need of the best possible approach in improving the productivity of their employees and its positive outcomes.
II. Summary or description of the work.
Given the objectives of the study and its purpose, its tenets and theoretical perspectives are driven by the need to understand the concept of leadership style and how it relates to other areas of managing staff. The study uses an effective design and methodological approach by means of conducting measurements and obtaining data from the samples. In order to frame the theoretical foundations of the study, a literature review was presented, which is detrimental to all scientific researches as a basis of defining the theoretical definition of the topic.
III. Interpretation and/or evaluation
A. Discussion of the work's organization – The work was organized in a manner that it presents the idea of the topic at first and provided the important details such as the methodology and other areas that will entail the an unquestionable results to prove hypothesis.
B. Discussion of the work's style – The way the article was written shows a typical styles that most other research studies often use. The only difference that sets this study apart is the concise stipulation of the methodologies and precise statement of needed procedures that are paramount to the determination of adequate findings. The measurement choice also corresponds to requirement of the research, which will deliver the most accurate quantitative analysis of the given hypothesis.
C. Effectiveness – In terms of effectiveness, the research was effective in presenting its arguments and in proving the point of the study. However, there were no limitations mentioned prominently in the article that will set the expectations of the audience as to what extent the study will make a difference to the field of management and leadership.
D. Discussion of appeal to a particular audience – The article creates a positive appeal to its intended audience in such a way that it provides a fundamental understanding of the issue and offers an alternative principle to the conventional knowledge in leadership. Managers and industry leaders would benefit largely from the findings of the study wherein the improvement of their employee does rely on their leadership style.
IV. Practical Application
The principles of leadership particularly transformational leadership has been said to be the most efficient approach for organizational leaders. However, there are other organizations that are still not practicing transformational leadership for variety of reasons. One of the most prominent factors being considered in selecting a leadership approach in an organization is culture. For example, in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) doing business means knowing the basics of the people’s culture particularly in the workplace. There is a structure and hierarchy in among the Emirati companies. Powerful and influential people own most of the large businesses in the country and the management’s culture towards work includes putting more importance to family and relationship and work comes only second. However, UAE’s attitude towards business have already evolved in the past years and eventually becoming synonymous to the Westernized approach (Communicaid, 2009; Riel, N.D.; Library of Congress, 2007).
The national culture in UAE and the leader’s difference in leadership approach becomes a hindering factor for the managers to adopt a transformational approach. At most, Clan Culture prevails within the management environment of most organizations in the UAE (Alyousif et al., 2010; Smith and Dugan, 1996). It was discussed in earlier that transformational approach and emotional intelligence are the key ingredients in fostering employee’s positive outcome of performance. In transformational leadership, the leader should exercise open communication to his employees and ensure that emotional intelligence accompanies such approach. The hindering problem brought by culture is that even though the country is already adopting ideas from the West, there is still an emphasis on old custom such as the status and gender (Credit Suisse, 2012; Gargani and Al Dabbagh; 2012).
Based on the facts related to the business culture of UAE, it appears that transformational leadership and emotional intelligence would be difficult to attain. In addition to the hindrances, there is a difference in treatment of the staff to their corporate leaders because the top management is usually given the highest respect in the country. Therefore, even though there is emotional intelligence, the elements of transformational leadership cannot still be practiced as easy. The best possible way to apply transformational leadership in the country, there should be diversity in terms gender, age and race within the managerial level to ensure that the staff and the managers have enough contact channel to allow the motivating factors of transformational leadership to occur (Awamleh, Evans and Mahate, 2005). Furthermore, conceptual frameworks and models have to be created to empower the managers to mediate the effects of the transformational leadership towards culture (Ismail et al., 2011). Applying transformational leadership in a UAE based organization would mean testing the managerial team of their emotional intelligence in order to align the entire management division towards adapting to the tenets of transformational leadership.
In a nutshell, transformational leadership and emotional intelligence has to work together in practice to be able to allow employee satisfaction and development to occur. Regardless of the culture, the transformational leadership approach was proven to work towards a greater advantage that both the organization and the staff could achieve. The correlation between the two is detrimental to the growth of both the employees and the staff as it alleviates the common problems that most employees face within the work environment. Lam and O’Higgins’s (2011) article was able to articulate the fundamental understanding of the importance of the resulting effects of applying both transactional leadership and emotional intelligence in leadership approach.
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