Abstract

This study examines the relationship between emotional intelligence of leaders and organizational culture. A survey method was used in this study. The research instrument was a structured questionnaire. The respondents were 177 employees drawn from IT companies in Malaysia.  The study found that emotionally intelligent leaders have positive influence on all of the five dimensions of organizational culture – job challenge, communication, trust, innovation and social cohesion. The results suggest that leaders with high emotional intelligence will contribute to positive perceptions of organizational culture among employees. The implication of this finding is that human resource practitioners must seriously consider to enhance leaders’ emotional intelligence through proper recruitment and selection policies as well as training programs that incorporate emotional intelligence elements. Emotional intelligence of leaders has significant influence on subordinates’ behavior outcomes such as their perception on the daily practices of the organization.  

Key words: Emotional intelligence, leadership, organizational culture dimensions, emotionally intelligent leader, Malaysia.