Relationship between emotional intelligence and servant leadership in banking

Relationship Between Emotional Intelligence and Servant Leadership in Banking by Curtis J. Gregory MA, Antioch University McGregor, 2003 BA, University of Cincinnati, 1984 Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Applied Management and Decision Sciences Walden University November 2016  U.S. based financial institutions have experienced significant failure rates since the mid1980s. The problem within the U.S. based banking industry is that the focus of leadership development has been primarily on cognitive abilities, whereas interpersonal skills, such as emotional intelligence, have been neglected. Research has focused on U.S. bank failures from a risk mitigation, economic, or legislative perspective, creating a gap in research on leadership behavior. The purpose of this correlation study was to determine whether a significant relationship exists between emotional intelligence and servant leadership among leaders in the U.S. small business banking industry. The theoretical framework compared intelligence types to leadership styles to explain leadership behavior. A convenience sample of leaders within the Qualtrics database of small business bankers was surveyed from a composite survey for levels of servant leadership and emotional intelligence simultaneously. Pearson's correlation coefficient was performed to test the hypothesis. A statistically significant relationship was found between servant leadership and emotional intelligence. Social change implications of this study include improving employee engagement and retention, along with stakeholder engagement through the identification of leaders high in servant leadership style and emotional intelligence. Positive economic, social, and environmental benefits could be gained through improved organizational performance of U.S. based banks by improving the selection and development of leaders in small business lending willing to embrace a stakeholder management theory.U.S. based financial institutions have experienced significant failure rates since the mid1980s. The problem within the U.S. based banking industry is that the focus of leadership development has been primarily on cognitive abilities, whereas interpersonal skills, such as emotional intelligence, have been neglected. Research has focused on U.S. bank failures from a risk mitigation, economic, or legislative perspective, creating a gap in research on leadership behavior. The purpose of this correlation study was to determine whether a significant relationship exists between emotional intelligence and servant leadership among leaders in the U.S. small business banking industry. The theoretical framework compared intelligence types to leadership styles to explain leadership behavior. A convenience sample of leaders within the Qualtrics database of small business bankers was surveyed from a composite survey for levels of servant leadership and emotional intelligence simultaneously. Pearson's correlation coefficient was performed to test the hypothesis. A statistically significant relationship was found between servant leadership and emotional intelligence. Social change implications of this study include improving employee engagement and retention, along with stakeholder engagement through the identification of leaders high in servant leadership style and emotional intelligence. Positive economic, social, and environmental benefits could be gained through improved organizational performance of U.S. based banks by improving the selection and development of leaders in small business lending willing to embrace a stakeholder management theory. Relationship Between Emotional Intelligence and Servant Leadership in Banking by Curtis J. Gregory MA, Antioch University McGregor, 2003 BA, University of Cincinnati, 1984 Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Applied Management and Decision Sciences Walden University November 2016 Dedication To my wonderful daughter, Leah, let my academic work be your inspiration to change the world. "Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world" Nelson Mandela My parents, Ronald and Anne Gregory, my sister, Carol Gregory, and my extended family who have continuously demonstrated through words and through action the importance of education and learning. Additionally, I dedicate this work to those who paved the way for my scholastic journey and for those who might be inspired to follow by my example. Finally, to Gregory L. Dees who saw me through my darkest hours with his wit and poetic articulation of life in general. Acknowledgments I would like to thank Dr. David K. Banner for the intellectual and academic contributions to my dissertation and to the spiritual support and guidance along the way. Dr. Banner, you are a wonderful example of servant leadership and I hope that our relationship evolves to future collaborations. Dr. Steven Tippins was the voice of calm reassurance from the very early stages of learning quantitative analysis and I am very grateful for his guidance and contribution to this dissertation. At a time when apathy started to consume me, Dr. Jeffrey Prinster came on board as my university research reviewer with a balance of positive feedback and constructive criticism that restored my energy and renewed my dedication to completing this journey. There are a few additional people I would like to thank for their contributions in guiding me towards my doctoral journey. Barbara Gellman Danley, PhD, while serving as president of Antioch University McGregor (Midwest) helped me to realize my desire to learn and hunger for intellectual stimulation. Dr. Gary Quinlivan, dean of the Alex G. McKenna School of business, economics, and government at Saint Vincent College McKenna School, was gracious enough to offer my first opportunity as an adjunct professor, which helped stimulate my desire to teach. RC Caldwell convinced me a long time ago of my desire to learn starting with my master's degree.