Date of Award
Spring 4-1-2025
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Education (EdD)
Department
Organizational Leadership
First Advisor
Len Hightower PhD
Second Advisor
Jonathan Greenberg EdD
Third Advisor
Catherine Webb EdD
Abstract
Purpose: The purpose of this mixed-methods study was to identify and describe the perceptions of managers at multilateral development institutions regarding the impact of emotional intelligence methods in their approaches to leading during the COVID-19 pandemic. A secondary purpose was to examine how the experiences of leading during the COVID-19 crisis influenced managers' understanding, development, and application of emotional intelligence skills as part of their leadership practices.
Methodology: This study employed a convergent parallel mixed-methods design to examine the role of emotional intelligence in crisis leadership at multilateral development institutions during the COVID-19 pandemic. Using Goleman's emotional intelligence framework as a theoretical foundation, the study gathered data through a survey of managers across major multilateral development institutions and semi-structured interviews with 15 purposefully selected leaders. Quantitative data were collected through a 30-item survey completed by 87 managers, while qualitative data were gathered through in-depth interviews exploring leaders' lived experiences in applying emotional intelligence methods during the crisis period.
Findings: The study found that majority of managers recognized emotional intelligence as crucial for effective crisis leadership, with empathy emerging as the most critical component. Virtual leadership required significant adaptation of social skills and communication approaches. The crisis experience catalyzed a fundamental shift in how managers conceptualized emotional intelligence, transforming it from a supplementary skill to a foundational leadership requirement. Managers developed specific practices to strengthen their emotional capabilities, though their development followed a non-linear trajectory with periods of advancement and regression.
Conclusions: Crisis conditions transform emotional intelligence from a leadership enhancement to a leadership foundation. Effective application during crisis requires deliberate practice systems rather than natural ability. Virtual environments necessitate reconstruction of emotional intelligence practices rather than simple translation. Empathy must be action-oriented rather than merely understanding-based. Crisis experiences accelerate emotional intelligence development through a non-linear trajectory requiring intentional reinforcement.
Recommendations: Multilateral development institutions should integrate emotional intelligence as a core component in leadership selection and development, establish structured practice systems for emotional intelligence sustainability, develop specialized training for virtual leadership, implement crisis simulation exercises, and design hybrid work models that support emotional connection across different interaction modalities.
Recommended Citation
Ogunyemi, Bukola, "Emotional Intelligence and Effective Leadership in Times of Global Crisis: A Mixed-Methods Study of Managers at Multilateral Development Institutions During the COVID-19 Pandemic" (2025). Dissertations. 603.
https://digitalcommons.umassglobal.edu/edd_dissertations/603
