Perceptions of South African managers’ emotional intelligence: A preliminary investigation

Abstract

Emotional intelligence has become prominent within the management literature as an underlying attribute of effective leadership. The perceptions of 75 participants regarding their senior managers' emotional intelligence were investigated by using the 360-degree Emotional Competency Profiler (ECP) as a measure of emotional intelligence. The managers who were evaluated by the participants represented 24 South African companies. Results indicated that senior managers in the selected companies rated relatively higher on self-motivation and self-esteem / self-regard than on self-management, integration of head and heart, change resilience and emotional literacy. The implications of the findings are discussed and recommendations for future research are made. This study makes an important contribution to the expanding body of knowledge concerned with the evaluation of attributes related to emotional intelligence that influence the performance of South African business leaders.