Date of Award
12-2025
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Business Administration (DBA)
First Advisor
Paul Shelton
Second Advisor
Dirk Barram
Third Advisor
Brad Jensen
Abstract
In a world where change is constant, organizations often struggle to adapt. Whether implementing change proactively or responding to external realities, organizational change leaders must navigate the landscape of change with awareness of the potential for follower resistance to derail their efforts. Change and emotion are not easily separated, and change leaders who ignore the emotional realities of change do so at the risk of failure. Leaders who demonstrate emotional intelligence are better equipped to understand and manage the emotions of change in themselves and others. How followers perceive the emotional intelligence of their leaders is crucial to their own cognitive, affective, and behavioral responses to change. This research explores middle managers’ perceptions of leaders’ emotional intelligence during change in a higher education setting. The findings reveal that emotionally intelligent leadership, particularly during periods of organizational change, is crucial for developing trust and enhancing engagement among middle managers. Conversely, in the absence of emotionally intelligent leadership, trust was low, morale eroded, and disengagement was the norm.
Recommended Citation
Bennett, Kirk, "Perceptions of Leader Emotional Intelligence During Change: A Qualitative Study of Middle Managers in Higher Education" (2025). Doctor of Business Administration (DBA). 79.
https://digitalcommons.georgefox.edu/dbadmin/79