Excellence and Leadership with Emotional Intelligence in Public Administration - Literature Review
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.37886/ruo.2024.006Keywords:
leadership, management, emotional intelligence, public sector, modelAbstract
Research Question (RQ): We are interested in exploring the theoretical foundations regarding the role and importance of leadership and emotional intelligence in public sector management.
Purpose: The primary purpose of the article is to review existing domestic and foreign literature and research on leadership and emotional intelligence in the public sector and its relevance to managerial functions in public sector leadership. The secondary purpose is to develop a proposal for our own research model to measure the emotional intelligence characteristics of leaders in the public sector based on the insights gained from the first purpose.
Method: In reviewing the literature, we chose a descriptive method of selected material. An integrative literature review was conducted in both digital and physical formats. The literature we studied was published between 1995 and 2022 in Slovenian and English language. The review was performed in open-access databases, Google Scholar, and library-accessible materials.
Results: The research results indicate that the emotional intelligence of an individual leader plays an increasingly significant role in problem-solving, implementing work processes, and achieving results in modern times. Emotional intelligence is crucial not only in terms of the leader's personality traits as an individual but also in relation to their approach to work processes and perception of the role of their own institution in which they carry out leadership duties. The findings apply similarly to both the private and public sectors. Although there is much less theoretical and empirical research in the case of the latter, the message about the importance of emotional intelligence in leadership is equally high in both private and public sector leaders.
Organization: Through the research, we find that appropriate behavior and the use of emotional intelligence by a leader in the public sector bring many benefits to the organization, especially in the case of implementing changes, problem-solving, and crisis situations among employees, as well as in relation to the broader public.
Society: With this contribution, we aim to highlight how important emotional intelligence is in public sector leadership.
Originality: The originality of the contribution is reflected in the development of a proposal for our own model to measure the emotional intelligence of a leader in the public sector. The model is built on the insights of existing models, presented through a review of domestic and foreign scholarly literature, and significantly expanded through the introduction of dimensions of the leader's relationship to processes and the institution they lead in the public sector.
Limitations/Future Research: The proposed model serves as a starting point for necessary further empirical testing on selected case studies, particularly those currently facing crisis situations or implementing major changes in their operations.
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