NAVAL POSTGRADUATE SCHOOL Monterey, California

THESIS

Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited

THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE AND LEADER PERFORMANCE

by

Michael A. Trabun

March 2002

Thesis Co-Advisors: W. Brad Johnson Wm R. Bowman

i

REPORT DOCUMENTATION PAGE Form Approved OMB No. 0704-0188 Public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 1 hour per response, including the time for reviewing instruction, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information. Send comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing this burden, to Washington headquarters Services, Directorate for Information Operations and Reports, 1215 Jefferson Davis Highway, Suite 1204, Arlington, VA 22202-4302, and to the Office of Management and Budget, Paperwork Reduction Project (0704-0188) Washington DC 20503. 1. AGENCY USE ONLY (Leave blank)

2. REPORT DATE March 2002

3. REPORT TYPE AND DATES COVERED Masters Thesis

4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE: The Relationship Between Emotional Intelligence and Leader Performance

6. AUTHOR (S) Trabun, Michael A.

5. FUNDING NUMBERS

7. PERFORMING ORGANIZATION NAME(S) AND ADDRESS(ES) Naval Postgraduate School Monterey, CA 93943-5000

8. PERFORMING ORGANIZATION REPORT NUMBER

9. SPONSORING / MONITORING AGENCY NAME(S) AND ADDRESS(ES) N/A

10. SPONSORING / MONITORING AGENCY REPORT NUMBER

11. SUPPLEMENTARY NOTES The views expressed in this thesis are those of the author and do not reflect the official policy or position of the Department of Defense or the U.S. Government. 12a. DISTRIBUTION / AVAILABILITY STATEMENT Approved for public release; distribution unlimited

12b. DISTRIBUTION CODE A

13. ABSTRACT (maximum 200 words) This study reflects a comparison of the measured emotional intelligence ability to the evaluated leadership performance of 104 select male and female U.S. Naval Academy midshipmen. Binary logistical regressions were used to analyze the impact of selected explanatory variables on the probability of an individua l performing effectively as a squad leader. Separate leader performance models were estimated on the members of the sample, and some significant relationships between the EIQ scores and leadership performance were found. The results of this research assessed the utility of the Mayer, Salovey, Caruso Emotional Intelligence Test, Version 2 (MSCEIT v.2) to discriminate between effective leaders as inconclusive, while some scores from the MSCEIT v.2 were found to add to the predictive validity of each of the models. Conclusions and recommendations for further research are provided.

KEYWORDS: Leadership, Emotional Intelligence, Military Performance, Training,

Officer Accession, Personality Type, Psychology, EI, EQ, EIQ, EQI

15. NUMBER OF PAGES

133

14. SUBJECT TERMS Leadership, Emotional Intelligence, Military Performance, Training, Officer Accession, Personality Type, Psychology, EI, EQ, EIQ, EQI 16. PRICE CODE 17. SECURITY CLASSIFICATION OF REPORT

Unclassified

18. SECURITY CLASSIFICATION OF THIS PAGE

Unclassified

19. SECURITY CLASSIFICATION OF ABSTRACT

Unclassified

20. LIMITATION OF ABSTRACT

UL

NSN 7540-01-280-5500 Standard Form 298 (Rev. 2-89) Prescribed by ANSI Std. 239-18

ii

THIS PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK

iii

Approved for Public Release; distribution is unlimited

THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE AND LEADER PERFORMANCE

Michael A. Trabun

Major, United States Marine Corps B.A., Washington State University, 1986

M.S., Capitol College, 1998

Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of

MASTER OF SCIENCE IN LEADERSHIP AND

HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT

from the

NAVAL POSTGRADUATE SCHOOL March 2002

Author: Michael A. Trabun

Approved by:

W. Brad Johnson, Thesis Co-Advisor

William R. Bowman, Thesis Co-Advisor

Douglas A. Brook, Dean Graduate School of Business and Public Policy

iv

THIS PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK

v

ABSTRACT This study reflects a comparison of the measured emotional intelligence ability to

the evaluated leadership performance of 104 select male and female U.S. Naval Academy

midshipmen. Binary logistical regressions were used to analyze the impact of selected

explanatory variables on the probability of an individual performing effective ly as a

squad leader. Separate leader performance models were estimated on the members of the

sample, and some significant relationships between the EIQ scores and leadership

performance were found. The results of this research assessed the utility of the Mayer,

Salovey, Caruso Emotional Intelligence Test, Version 2 (MSCEIT v.2) to discriminate

between effective leaders as inconclusive, while some scores from the MSCEIT v.2 were

found to add to the predictive validity of each of the models. Conclusions and

recommendations for further research are provided.

vi

THIS PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK

vii

TABLE OF CONTENTS

I. INTRODUCTION..................................................................................................1 A. BACKGROUND ........................................................................................1 B. OBJECTIVES/PURPOSE ........................................................................4 C. RESEARCH QUESTIONS.......................................................................5 D. BENEFIT OF RESEARCH ......................................................................6 E. SCOPE, LIMITATIONS, ASSUMPTIONS............................................6 F. ORGANIZATION OF STUDY ................................................................7

II. LITERATURE REVIEW AND THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK ......................9 A. OVERVIEW...............................................................................................9 B. EMOTIONS..............................................................................................10 C. HUMAN INTELLIGENCE ....................................................................10 D. MODELS OF EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE .................................11 E. LEADERSHIP..........................................................................................19 F. EI AND LEADERSHIP...........................................................................21 G. EI AS A PREDICTOR OF PERFORMANCE OUTCOMES .............24 H. EI AND GENDER....................................................................................26 I. DEVELOPING EI ...................................................................................30 J. CONCLUSION ........................................................................................32

III. METHODOLOGY AND DATA.............................................................................35 A. GENERAL......................................................................................................35 B. DATA...............................................................................................................37 C. RESEARCH DESIGN ...................................................................................39

1. Participants and Procedure ........................................................39 2. EQ Model and MSCEIT v.2 Description...................................41

D. VARIABLES ..................................................................................................46 1. Dependent Variable .....................................................................46 2. Explanatory Variables.................................................................49

E. METHODS ...............................................................................................57

IV. DATA ANALYSIS ...............................................................................................59 A. PRELIMINARY DATA ANALYSIS ...........................................................59 B. H1: THERE IS A RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN EI AND

LEADERSHIP PERFORMANCE AT USNA AMONG MEMBERS OF THE SAMPLE. ..................................................................................62 1. Model 1, Pre-USNA baseline predictors of effective Squad

Leader Performance ....................................................................62 2. Model 2, Overall EI as a predictor of Squad Leader

Effectiveness .................................................................................63 3. Model 3, Area Level EI as a predictor of Squad Leader

Effectiveness .................................................................................64

viii

4. Model 4, Branch Level EI as a predictor of Squad Leader Effectiveness .................................................................................65

5. Model 5, Task Level EI as a predictor of Squad Leader Effectiveness .................................................................................66

C. H2: EI AS MEASURED BY THE MSCEIT V.2 IS A MORE ACCURATE PREDICTOR OF LEADERSHIP PERFORMANCE AT USNA THAN THE MEYERS-BRIGGS TYPE INDICATOR. ....67 1. Model 6, Meyers Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) as a predictor of

Squad Leader Effectiveness .......