EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE AND LEADERSHIP COMPETENCE OF DEPARTMENT HEADS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MINDANAO

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION Organisms all over the world are striving to be on top of myriad of competitions in any given field they belong. Their advancement and success are spelled out on the basis of their technology, product innovations, breakthroughs, scope of research and their number of clients. But beyond all these indicators, it is the pool of competent and skilled human resources that pull the company either up or down. In the development of training of these highly valued resource the human resource schools are also in competition with another in providing and producing well-balanced students by acquiring national accreditation, hiring competent professors and promoting highly skilled academic leaders and administrators. Thus, it is true to reckon that successful academic program and its implementation lies in the leadership hands of the academic leaders and administrators. Considering the vast population of an academic institution and the number of administrators in the academe, the level of stress in coping with varying personalities differs from one administrator to another. This is so deemed because of their varying levels of emotional intelligence on leadership. Very few researches have been devoted to study on emotional intelligence and its contribution to the field of work. Emotional Intelligence is less explored because most psychologists and researchers have devoted thousands of hours to cognitive intelligence. While it is true that cognitive intelligence has been immensely explored, studies have shown that there are more people with average cognitive intelligence who become successful in life while those having high cognitive numerical equivalent become less successful. Where lies the difference? Psychologists point to emotional intelligence as the key factor for this spells the ability of an individual to cope with lifes many pressures and surprises. It is emotional intelligence that positively impacts ability to sustain both the mental and physical health. It eases, change, reduce stress, improves communication and enhances decision making. (Segal,1998) Daniel Golemans book (1998), Working with Emotional Intelligence, identified skills that distinguish the star performers in every field. From entry level jobs to top executive positions, the single most important factor is not cognitive intelligence, advanced degrees, nor technical expertise. It is emotional intllegence.

Goleman from his researches demonstrates that competencies such as self-awareness, and self-control, commitment and integrity, the ability to communicate and influence, and to initiate and accept change are the premium in todays market. The higher up the leadership ladder you go, the more vital these skills become, often influencing who is hired and who is fired, who is passed over and who is promoted. Hendric Weisinger (1998) cited that most experts now agree that those who climb the corporate ladder most quickly are those who possess a high degree of emotional intelligence, the ability to make their emotions work and by using them in ways that produce the expected results. As these people climb the ladder of success, they inevitably become leaders, managers or supervisors in their respective field, often highly recorded by subordinates. They possess qualities that make a leader effective in making people follow them. It is worthy to note that leaders have been around since time immemorial. From the time of Noah, Moses, and Jesus, Hitler, Gandhi, and Mother Theresa, Marcos, Margaret Thatcher and President Joseph Estrada, leaders all over the world have been trying to influence others to act on certain things. All these people have varying charisma that make people follow and emulate them. What are their character traits that allow people to be influenced? Consequently, the role behavior of a leader covers three different skillstechnical, human, and conceptual. Though they are interrelated in practice, they can be considered separately (Davis, 1987). Several researches have been studied in the technical and conceptual aspects of a leader; the human skills or leadership competence as affected by their emotional intelligence shall be the focus of this research. The University of Mindanao, the locale of this study, is the largest school in Mindanao in terms of student population, personnel and faculty count and branches which spreads all over the Southern Mindanao. It has been in existence since 1946 and has grown to its present stature. Having an average student population of 28,000, the number of personnel and faculty should be such that it will be able to cater the yearly increasing number of students. Hence, a thorough and firm administrations, supervision and leadership should be exercised in order to enforce control measures in its resources. While management properly plans its vast resources, different leaders and administrators are installed to ensure that these plans and programs are better achieved in the academe. The study aims to determine the relationship between emotional intelligence and leadership competence of all department heads in the University of Mindanao. It aims to know whether emotional intelligence plays a vital role in the effective leadership capabilities of an administrator and the manager by which these behavior influence their faculty and staff.

STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM: The researcher attempted to determine the relationship of each factor or combination of the factors of emotional intelligence and leadership competence of department heads of the University of Mindanao System. Specifically, it sought the answers to the following sub-problems: 1. What is the level of emotional intelligence of department heads of the UM System in terms of the following: A. Indicators B. Sex

2. What is the level of leadership competence of department heads of the UM System in terms of the following: A. Indicators B. Sex

3. Is there a significant difference in the level of emotional intelligence of respondents when analyzed by: A. Civil Status D. Age B. Sex E. No. of years in present position C. Appointment Category 4. Is ther a significant difference in the level of leadership competence of respondents when analyzed by: A. Civil Status D. Age B. sex E. No. of years in present position C. Appointment Category

CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK: This study is anchored on the theory of Daniel Goleman (1996) that emotional intelligence is the key factors that helps improve a persons career development from entry level jobs to top executive positions. This can be determined through learning the skills described in its five component: self awareness, self-regulation, self-motivation, empathy, and social skills. While childhood is a major critical time for its development, emotional intelligence is not fixed at birth. It can be nurtured and strengthened throughout adulthood with immediate benefits to health, relationships, and work conditions. Similar theory is give by Hendric Weisinger (1998), that those who climb the corporate ladder most quickly are those who possess a high degree of emotional intelligence, the ability to make their emotions work and by using them in ways that produce the expected results. VARIABLES: The identified variables of the study are shown in Fig. 1. The independent variable is emotional intelligence which includes self-awareness, self-regulation, self-motivation, empathy, and coaching others emotions while the dependent variable is leadership competence of department heads of the UM system which covers initiative, inquiry, advocacy, conflict solving, and critiquing. On the other hand, moderator variable are civil status, sex, appointment category, age, and the number of years in the present position.