EMOTIONAL
INTELLIGENCE AND TRANSFORMATION OF
John N.N Ugoani
Rhema University, Nigeria
E-mail: drjohnugoani@yahoo.com
Submission: 10/06/2015
Revision: 08/07/2015
Accept: 12/07/2015
ABSTRACT
Education and
training place different demands on institutions and the workforce, as well as
the educators themselves. Both education and training are essential to
organizational profitability. Clear separation and understanding of management
education and training strategy provide advantage but management education
curriculum allows educators to concentrate on their essential message to
develop the specialized technical and management capacity needed to link
training and competencies more closely to the economy and the world of work.
This situation has given rise to the refocusing of traditional education
practices to involve newly emerging management education concepts that are
embedded in the components of emotional intelligence. The survey method was
used for the study, and it was found that emotional intelligence has
significant positive relationship with management education and organizational
profitability.
Keywords: Self-modification, Emotional intelligence,
Training, Organizational profitability, Innovativeness.
1. INTRODUCTION
The rapidly increasing interest in
the area of management education is well-known today, as the importance of good
planning, organizing, directing and controlling becomes much more recognized.
To co-ordinate these activities requires a wealth of knowledge in various
disciplines and techniques in an ever changing global business environment.
When these are applied through the
use of various managerial skills the individual progresses to managerial status
and eventually reach senior executive level when sufficient expertise has been
gained. At present, managers of high caliber in this function are rare.
Education and training facilities have lagged behind and institutes associated
with the function have not taken full recognition of the changing times.
Opportunities in management are now plentiful. The benefits to a company
through effective management education are considerable and there is now ample
evidence to prove it.
Although modern machines,
sophisticated equipment, propelled through the information and communication
technology (ICT) superhighway, are important, the effectiveness of the
functions depends mainly upon trained manpower of high caliber. The area of
knowledge and techniques can be learned and used in conjunction with management
skills. The skills have to be practiced continuously so as to achieve full
competence. In addition, the first appointment into the managerial level
involves taking responsibility for the work of others.
This broadening of responsibility is
particularly demanding and success depends mainly upon the art of dealing with
people. Betts (1975) insists that the process of management is to set
objectives, and attempt to achieve them. In more detail, this basic process
implies the use of a number of main managerial skills which form a complete
cycle in the order of: anticipating, planning, establishing suitable
conditions, acting to achieve the plans, motivating employees, checking
performance, solving problems, setting and revising objectives, and making
decisions.
According to him, the development of
these skills depends upon three main factors such as: the opportunity to
practice, making training and experience essential, acquiring sufficient
knowledge in the disciplines associated with each skill, making management
education vital and learning associated techniques and keeping up to date on
new techniques. Historically training for productivity employment was a private
matter. Individuals acquired skills through apprenticeship or on-the-job training
and financed their training through reduced wages during the learning period.
However, the rise of mass production
and the creation of large commercial and service organizations led to
increasing division of labour. A hierarchically organized workforce in which
entry level jobs required relatively few skills but a high level of industrial
discipline, replaced the single worker who personally carried out all the tasks
associated with a product. In the early part of the twentieth century in the
United States, then the largest industrial economy, initial training for these
jobs was provided by large enterprises themselves in factory schools.
Educational reformers at the time
thought about vocational schools as a preparation for the training of
managerial manpower. Much of Europe followed and from these origins it was a
short step to the common wisdom of the 1960s that governments in developing
countries needed to supplement capital investment with investment in occupation
skills training and full-fledged management education to strengthen the
managerial manpower needs of ministries and state owned enterprises (SOEs).
Therefore the warning flags
regarding vocational and management education began to go up as early as the
early 1960s. (MIDDLETON, et, al, 1999). The rising interest in management
education is accompanied by the recognition that it can play a central role in
raising the earnings, job prospects, life chances of individuals, and the
profitability of the enterprise (WEISBERG, 1983). It may be safe to state that
the University of Nigeria is the first University in West Africa to offer a
degree programme on management. Its management programme was started in 1961 in
two deportments, namely the Department of Business Administration and the
Department of Finance.
The management programme was mounted
in an attempt to provide basic knowledge and skills needed for the
understanding and analysis of problems related to the management and
administration of industrial, commercial, public and other human organizations.
The programme was also to serve as a vehicle to equip students with knowledge
and skills of decision making, especially the analytical skills needed for
recognizing, defining and solving problems, and again, develop in students,
leadership and interpersonal relations skills in management.
The general philosophy is the belief
that training in this discipline will develop the mind, impart both theoretical
and practical knowledge on the individual student, develop self-confidence,
help to be innovative and self-reliant in the fields of management and
administration. Because of the departure of expatriate managers Nigerian
leaders were deeply conscious of the need to replace them with well qualified
and competent Nigerians.
Furthermore, the government was
geared to the needs of an independent state whose main concern was social and
economic development rather than the maintenance of law and order as was
hitherto the case. Toward this end, more institutions of higher learning like
The Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) Zaria, the University of Lagos, Institute of
Management and Technology, Enugu, joined in offering courses in management,
administration and management education to bridge the gap in managerial
manpower in Nigeria.
1.1 Early
Professional Management Education in Nigeria
Professional bodies like the
Nigerian Institute of Management (NIM), the Centre for Management Development
(CMD), The Association of Schools of Management Education-and Training (NASMET)
have all been in the fore front of management education in Nigeria from the
1960s to the present time. What is now essential is a paradigm shift to a type
of management education that fosters organizational growth, survival and
profitability (EJIOFOR, 1987, OKOJIE, 2007).
Management education should be concerned with enhancing
leadership as well as extending and improving more general management skills to
enhance organizational profitability. Profitability is the bottom line or
ultimate performance result showing the net effects of organizational policies
and activities in a financial year. An organization’s growth is tied closely to
its survival and profitability. (PEARCE II; ROBINSON, JR., 2003).
According to Goleman (1995) the
process of improving management education should take account of the concept of
emotional intelligence. According to him, emotional intelligence (EI) is
concerned about knowing what you are feeling and being able to handle those
feelings without experiencing them, being able to motivate yourself to get jobs
done, be creative and perform at your peak, sensing what others are feeling and
handling relationships effectively.
Goleman (1995) posits that the
possession of high levels of emotional intelligence is a necessary attribute
for success in leadership and senior management positions. Emotional
intelligence is closely linked to competency based management education.
Consequently, Goleman (1995) defines four components of emotional intelligence
that can be fundamental to innovation and transformation of management education.
He suggests: Self-management – The
ability to control or redirect destructive impulses and moods and regulate your
own behavior coupled with a propensity to pursue goals with energy and
persistence. The six competencies associated with this component are self –
control, trustworthiness and integrity, initiative and adaptability comfort
with ambiguity, openness to change and a strong desire to achieve.
The next component is self-awareness
– the ability to recognize and understand your moods, emotions and drives as
well as their effect on others. This is linked to three important competencies
such as self-confidence, realistic self-assessment and emotional
self-awareness. Another one is social-awareness, involving the ability to
understand the emotional makeup of other people, and the skill of treating
people according to their emotional reactions.
This component of emotional
intelligence is related to six competencies emphasizing empathy, expertise in
building and retaining talent, organizational awareness, cross cultural
sensitivity, valuing diversity and service orientation to customers and others
in society. The final component as postulated by Goleman (1995) is social
skills. Social skills is related to proficiency in managing relationships and
building networks to get the desired result from others and also reach personal
goals, and the ability to find common ground and build rapport.
The five competencies associated
with this component are leadership effectiveness in leading change, conflict
management, influence/communication and expertise in building and leading
teams. As an innovative technique in management education, emotional
intelligence provides models of desired behaviours, encourages and reinforces,
creates a conducive climate that rewards self-improvement, evaluates and
establishes sound outcomes, measures, and then assesses performance against
stated goals or objectives (ARMSTRONG, 2003).
Emotional Intelligence principles
provide a new way to understand and assess peoples behaviors, management
styles, attitudes, interpersonal skills, and potentials. It is an important
consideration in human resource management and management development. Goleman
(1995) posits that ethical business and socially responsible management and
leadership behaviours are strongly connected to emotional intelligence.
The concept is also linked to love
and spirituality which, embrace compassion and humility that are fundamental to
emotionally intelligent behaviours in management and leadership positions.
Cherniss (2001) in his model insists that emotional intelligence is an
important contributor to organizational effectiveness through building strong
relationships.
He states that both formally
arranged relationships and naturally occurring relationships in organizations
leverage on emotional intelligence of organizational members and that
individual and group emotional intelligence is linked to the development of
sound management education. Education and training place different demands on
institutions’ and the workforce, as well as the educators themselves.
Both education and training are
essential to organizational profitability. Clear separation and understanding
of management education and training provide advantages, but management
education curriculum allows educators to concentrate on their essential message
to develop the specialized technical and management capacity needed to link
training and competencies more closely to the economy and the world of work.
To many educators, however, neither
traditional academic education nor the practical skills of vocational education
adequately prepare employees for the increasingly technological societies of
today. This situation has given rise to the refocusing of traditional education
practices towards newly emerging management education concepts that are
embedded in the components of emotional intelligence, which to varying degrees,
encourage creativity, flexibility, and empathy in finding solutions to
management problems.
1.2 Statement
of the problem
One of the challenges of business
development in recent year has been poor management as a result of lack of
innovation in technical or management education. Businesses are concerned about
innovation, because it is capable of creating opportunities and threats. The
consequences of innovation may present viable business opportunities;
innovation can also render current management practices, products, or services
obsolete and consequently increase business and risks.
The phenomenon of innovation is seen
as a common feature of management and innovative ideas in management education
are fundamental to understanding both the traditional business environment and
the artificial world of technology. Also, innovative ideas in management
education are considered important and strategic in responding to major changes
in the world of business.
According to Akanwa and Agu (2005)
the presence of innovative skill or lack of it makes a major difference in
entrepreneurial management that is consequent on sound management education.
Innovation involves the capacity of the entrepreneur to develop new ideas,
products, and technology, market or business practices to enhance the fortunes
of the enterprise. This is critical because a business often exists to create
products that provide profit for its growth and survival. Innovativeness means
creativity.
The capacity to innovate requires
competencies such as flexibility, empathy, discipline, perseverance,
self-management among other emotional intelligence competencies. To innovate
and positively transform a business enterprise requires the abilities to
monitor and control the emotions of the self, of others and of the group. These
are among the critical success factors needed for the transformation of
management education to ensure organizational profitability.
2. LITERATURE
REVIEW
Research on the predictive
significance of emotional intelligence over intelligence quotient was spurred
by Goleman’s (1995) initial publication on the topic which claim that emotional
intelligence could be “as powerful, and at times more powerful, than
intelligence quotient”. Much of this claim was based on past research revealing
that the predictive nature of intelligence quotient (I.Q) on job performance
was not promising with I.Q accounting from 10 – 25 percent of the variance in
job performance.
For example, when individuals are
being compared to a narrow pool of people in a particular job in a certain
organization, specifically in the higher levels, the predictive power of I.Q
for outstanding performance among them weakens greatly. In this circumstance,
EI would be the stronger predictor of individuals’ who out perform others.
Goleman (1995) hypothesizes that what distinguishes the most successful manager
from the others would be the levels of emotional intelligence.
According to Cherniss and Goleman
(2001) emotional intelligence training should emphasize human relations,
behavior modeling, self-management, training, among other management education
techniques, because most people coming to the workplace are adults. One of the
earliest examples of a successful EI training effort was a “human relations”
training for supervisors developed in the 1950s at the Pennsylvania State
University which targeted general, social and emotional competencies, including
self-awareness, empathy, and leadership.
The first phase which involved
primarily cognitive learning was devoted to a discussion of managerial styles
and lasted approximately nine hours. The second phase was primarily
experiential offering numerous individual and group exercises including
self-ratings, an in-basket exercise, a listening exercise, and a corrective
interview role-play. Thirty hours were devoted to this experiential learning.
The final stage which lasted for about three hours was devoted to discussion of
motivational theories.
The typical behavior modeling
training was based on the believe that people learn in part by observation, and
then emulating models. This was used in teaching social and emotional
competencies such as accurate self-assessment, adaptability, initiative and
innovation, empathy and communication. The self-management training proved that
nonsupervisory employees also can learn how to become more emotionally
competent at work.
The underlying premise was that individuals
who need to change are more likely to succeed when they are in control of the
change process. Rather than being taught behavioural principles to bring about
change in individuals, the individual is helped to apply them on his or her
own. It is thought that when people take charge of their own change programme,
they are more likely to feel efficacious and their change should be more
lasting than it is when they feel someone else is in charge.
Self management programmes can
influence a number of emotional competencies, including accurate
self-assessment, self-confidence, self-control, conscientiousness, and
achievement drive. Behavior modeling is a particularly effective training
strategy for helping people develop their ability to induce desirable responses
in others. In this approach the learners’ first view and discuss a model that
uses the skills in a simulation.
Next the learners practice using the
skills themselves in role-plays, receiving feedback on their performance.
Finally, they try out the skills on the job and then return to discuss their
experiences and get help in dealing with any problems they encountered.
Developing social skills is essential in EI training because social skills
build on the other domains of emotional intelligence, all the other techniques
can play a useful role in emotional intelligence training. The effectiveness of
EI training depends not only on the techniques used but also on their design
and implementation. Therefore a careful analysis must be done to select the most
effective models. (CHERNISS; GOLEMAN, 2001; HUNTER; HUNTER, 1984).
2.1 Emotional
Intelligence and Profitability
Goleman (1995) states that
performance measures of emotional intelligence have illustrated that higher
levels of emotional intelligence are associated with positive interpersonal
relationships. Negative relationships have likewise been identified between
emotional intelligence and problem behaviours.
Cherniss (2000) found that advanced
emotional intelligence can be beneficial in the professional workplace. Because
of the relationship of emotional intelligence and management education, The
American Society for Training and Development (ASTD) has published a volume
describing guidelines for helping people in organizations cultivate emotional
intelligence competencies which distinguish outstanding performers from average
ones.
The cost-effectiveness of emotional
intelligence in organizations is one of the beauties of the concept. According
to Goleman (1995) several studies have reported the economic value of hiring
staff based on emotional intelligence. In a report to Congress, the Government
Accounting Office (1998) outlined the amount saved when the United States Air
Force used Bar-On’s Emotional Quotient Inventory (EQ-i) to select programme
recruiters.
By selecting those individuals who
scored highest in emotional intelligence as recruiters, they increased their
ability to select successful recruiters by threefold and saved $3million
annually. A similar study by Boyatzis (1999) found that when partners in a
multinational consulting firm were assessed on emotional intelligence
competencies, partners who scored above the median on nine or more competencies
delivered $1.2million more profit than did other partners.
Cherniss and Goleman (2001) estimate
that by not following training guidelines established to increase emotional
intelligence in the workplace, industry in the United States is losing between
$5.6 and $16.8billion a year. They state that the impact of training employees
in emotional and social competencies which followed their guidelines is higher
than for other guidelines. They insist that by following emotional intelligence
training guidelines industry will not be losing money.
2.2 Emotional
Intelligence and Management Education
Many management scholars believe
that the discipline is a young and an old one. They think so because management
is very old in practice having been practiced by the early Egyptians and
Chinese but yet very young in theory. At the present time the desire for
wanting to establish business ventures with the aim of achieving beneficial
goals require a new and proper understanding of contemporary management
techniques required in running a profitable organization.
Sound knowledge or competence in the
functional areas of business management, such as administration, production,
human resource management, industrial relations management, marketing,
accounting and finance is necessary. Also a good knowledge of international
business is key in running an efficient enterprise. According to Ejiofor
(1987), business techniques are three pronged, and comprised of:
entrepreneurial techniques, managerial techniques and functional techniques.
Even though all these business
techniques are necessary for managing a business venture, the quality of the
techniques or knowledge employed differs in terms of the size and nature of a
particular business enterprise. For example, in production, the entrepreneurial
technique is highly needed to kick-start the business. The techniques of
accounting and finance are required to budget and keep the business under
proper financial control.
By the time workers are recruited to
help in running the business, the techniques of human resource management and
industrial relationship are put into use. And for the business to be sustained,
the technique, “management” – working through and with people-to achieve
organizational goals, takes the center stage. The three categories of business
techniques need not reside with or be actively carried out by the same person,
rather the entrepreneur and the manager can delegate the use of some techniques
to others, bearing in mind their levels of managerial competence.
To this extent, it appears logical
to look for ways of research, propagate and encourage the understanding and
application of modern management imperatives. This is an important task that
would lead to the acquisition of multiple competences, and address the huge
shortage of executive manpower supply in Nigeria. For example, the perennial problem
of bank failures in Nigeria has frequently been traceable to lack of competent
manpower at the executive level.
Management skills at all levels of
manpower in Nigeria require adjustment from time to time business organizations
need efficient management to succeed. People have to bear responsibility for
ensuring that the objectives of the organization are achieved. The ability to
work with, and through people, the ability to plan, organize, lead, and
control, are teachable, and should be learnt. Since the introduction of a
degree programme in management at the university of Nigeria in 1961, other
tertiary institutions have joined in undertaking courses in management
education, and many changes have also taken place in that direction.
Management education is geared
towards the goals of understanding of management theories and their application
in the workplace. This involves the transfer of management knowledge that
results in the realistic application of principles, skills and abilities to
ensure organizational success. There are increasing pressures on managers at
all levels to integrate new information and communication technology into all
aspects of an organization to improve efficiency and customer satisfaction.
Equally, the increasing diversity of
the workforce has made it important for managers to understand how to manage
successfully in a plural environment. The continuing need to innovate and
improve the quality of goods and services that allows organizations to compete
effectively, especially at the global level, has continued to confront managers
at all levels in organizations.
The tasks that managers must perform
efficiently have become more complex and challenging than ever before. Managing
in this boundary-less, somewhat, ambiguous context demands new managerial
skills that encompass emotional intelligence. Organizations today are
structured against the background of breaking down communication barriers
between departments, functional areas and divisions.
This decentralization emphasizes
corporate-wide objectives and promotes co-operation rather than conflict.
Apparently, because of the relevance of emotional intelligence to management,
the Universities of Illinois at Chicago and the State of Rhode Island have
revised their management education curricula to include introductory courses in
the specific area of emotional intelligence (GOMEZ-MEJIA; BALKIN, 2002; JONES;
GEORGE, 2003; UGOANI, 2013).
Management education programmes must
be dynamic and able to adjust to new situations that help to improve on – the –
job effectiveness and efficiency of future executive manpower, because the
present intelligence quotient and pen and paper tests as the only attributes of
intelligent behavior no longer provide the answer for organizational profitability.
While high intelligence quotient is necessary for entry into the workplace, it
does not paint the whole picture of what the employees are looking for or what
they will do in the work place.
Gardner (1983), states that
traditional types of intelligence such as IQ fail to fully explain cognitive
ability. Rather teamwork, the ability to empathize and solve problems of
interpersonal and intrapersonal nature, the ability to cooperate and
collaborate, involve emotional intelligence, and important for organizations to
survive.
According to Goleman, (1998), across
the world, and in sites as varied as schools, prisons, hospitals, mental health
clinics, and job retraining centers, farsighted organizations are realizing
that they too, have a stake in how well
schools are educating their future executives, because if schools fail to help
students master these human fundamentals of EI then the organizations
themselves will have do it remedially when those students become executives (SALOVEY;
MAYER, 1990; CHERNISS; ADLER, 2000; GARDNER, 1999).
The premium on emotional
intelligence is on the rise as organizations become increasingly dependent on
the talents and creativity of workers who are independent agents. Contemporary
organizations need “knowledge workers” who decide what to do on the job, rather
than being told what to do by someone else. This suggest that, emotional
intelligence is critical for organizational and individual survival.
The characteristics of emotional
intelligence lend it easily to blend the finest attributes of leadership, such
as visionary leadership styles with sound management. This is very important
because emotions and moods are so contagious that the prevailing attitude of an
organization is usually a reflection of its leadership.
An effective organization, such as a
sound public service for example, results from an efficient and effective
management. This means that the manager or administrator managing human
resources, non-human resources, as well as time, so as to achieve organizational
goals and effectiveness, requires a high dose of emotional intelligence.
2.3
Objective of the study
The study was designed to explore
the relationship of emotional intelligence and management education.
2.4 Delimitation
of the study
The study was delimited to Abia
State. Abia State is one of the 36 states in Nigeria. It was therefore assumed
that the opinion of the people in Abia State would be a good representation of
the opinion of the people in Nigeria,
2.5 Limitation
of the study
The study was constrained by lack of
research grant and current literature regarding the issues under study.
2.6 Significance
of the study
The study will help students,
researchers, and the general public; appreciate the imperatives of emotional
intelligence in management education.
2.7 Hypotheses
To achieve the objective of the
study two hypotheses were formulated and tested at 0.05 level of significance.
Ho:
Emotional intelligence has no relationship with management education.
Hi:
Emotional intelligence has a relationship with management education.
3. METHODOLOGY
3.1 Research
design
The research objective was achieved
by employing a survey design. The survey describes a technique of data
collection in which questionnaire copies are used to gather data about an
identified population. The design can also be used to assess
interrelationships. According to Shaughnessy and Zechmeister (1997) this design
is ideal to address the descriptive functions with correlations research.
3.2 Population
and Sample
The target population comprised the
people in Abia State Nigeria. The sample for the study was selected through the
Simple Random Sampling method. This is the sampling design in which every
subject in a given population has the same chance of being selected as any
other subject. The selection was done without replacement. The size was determined using the Yamane’s
technique (Nworuh, 2004).
3.3 Measurement
Instrument
The measurement instrument was based
on Schutte et al (1998) scale. Previous investigations have found the total
score on the Schutte Self-Report Emotional Intelligence (SSREI) Scale to be
acceptedly internally consistent. It is commonly used in this type of
psychometric work.
3.4 Procedure
for data collection
The administration of the measurement
instrument was done with the assistance of two research attendants. All 352
copies of the measurement instrument were returned and found useful for the
purpose of the study.
3. 5 Data
Analysis
Data were analyzed by the Chi-Square
statistical technique using the statistical package for the social sciences.
The results were presented in tables capable of self-explanation and further
analysis.
4. PRESENTATION
OF DATA AND RESULT
Table 1: Selected professional
bodies currently providing management education in Nigeria
|
S/N |
Name of
Professional Body |
|
1 |
Chartered
Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN) |
|
2 |
Nigerian
Institute of Management (NIM) |
|
3 |
Institute of
Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN) |
|
4 |
Nigerian
Association of Management Consultants |
|
5 |
The Centrae
for Management Development (CMD) |
|
6 |
The
Administrative Staff College of Nigeria (ASCON) |
|
7 |
The Nigerian
Association of Schools of Management Education and Training (NASMET) |
|
8 |
Nigeria
Marketing Association (NIMARK) |
|
9 |
The Institute
of Management Consultants of Nigeria (IMCON) |
|
10 |
Industrial
Training Fund (ITF) |
Source: Field work, 2015
While the professional bodies as in
table 1 continue to offer competency based trainings to enhance managerial
efficiency, the federal government of Nigeria has in more recent years
established special universities that pay closer attention to management
education. Prominent among them are listed in table 2.
Table 2: Some special
universities providing management education in Nigeria as at 2015
|
S/No |
Name of university |
Geopolitical zone |
|
1 |
Federal
University of technology, Abeokuta |
South-west
zone |
|
2 |
Federal
University of Technology, Akure |
South-west
zone |
|
3 |
Federal
University of Technology, Minna |
North-central
zone |
|
4 |
Federal
University of Technology, Owerri |
South-East
zone |
|
5 |
Federal
University of Technology, Yola |
North-east
zone. |
Source: Field work, 2015
Management education was not given
proper focus initially partially because of the form of curriculum left over by
the colonial administration in Nigeria, as well as lack of adequate funding and
inadequate infrastructure. While the professional bodies continue to provide
support for management education the federal government in more recent years
established special universities across the country with a mandate to pay keen
attention to competency development.
Management education is often
interchangeablely known as business education. According to Uwaneze and Chris
(2014) business education is the component of vocational technical education
programme that prepares an individual for career in business and also to be an
intelligent consumer of economic goods and services. In this era of
globalization, management or business education can contribute in great
measures to the economic development of any nation.
Therefore, management education is
an indispensable tool for development with its focus on developing appropriate
skills. However, prior to Nigeria’s political independence in 1960, management
teacher education like other vocation and technical education disciplines was
not given proper thought in the Nigerian education curriculum. As a result,
Nigeria has for many years lacked competent managerial manpower that resulted
in business failures.
For example, bank failures in
Nigerian recent history have been related to the absence of critical
competencies by directors and managers. Organizational profitability is a
reflection of sound management
characterized by such competencies as integrity, honesty, self-management,
self-control, among other emotional intelligence skills. These competencies can
be acquired through formal and informal education.
Against this background, Okojie
(2011) states that other compelling reasons to integrate entrepreneurship
studies in the education curriculum of universities suggests an essential new
platform that will guarantee all graduate from Nigerian universities the
knowledge of appropriate skills, competencies and disposition that will make
them globally competitive and capable of contributing meaningfully to socio-economic
growth. This is imperative, because according to Ogunleye (2003) endemic
problems of inefficient management and inefficient operational trends were the
major causes of bank failures in Nigeria (UGOANI, 2014; UGOANI, et al, 2014).
4.1 NPar
Tests
Chi-Square
test
a. 0
cells (.0%) have expected frequencies less than 5. The minimum expected cell
frequency is 70.4
Table 3: Frequencies
|
|
Observed N |
Expected N |
Residual |
|
|
8.00 23.00 40.00 93.00 188.00 Total |
8 23 40 93 188 352 |
70.4 70.4 70.4 70.4 70.4 |
-62.4 -47.4 -30.4 22.6 117.6 |
|
Table 4: Test Statistics
|
|
VAR00003 |
|
Chi-Squarea
df Asymp. Sig. |
304.051 4 .000 |
4.2 Interpretation
of result
From the Chi-Square Test, it was
observed that the calculated value of 304.051 was significantly greater than
the table value of 9.49 at 0.05 level of significance with 4 degree of freedom.
By this empirical result it was confirmed that emotional intelligence is needed
in the transformation of management education in Nigeria.
The result also agrees with the views
of Goleman (1995) that emotional intelligence is teachable at different levels.
Also, Bar-On (1997), hypothesizes that emotional intelligence develops overtime
and can be improved upon through education and training. Specifically, it
supports the findings of Cheniss (2001) that EI is crucial for organizational
effectiveness. It also supports the earlier work of Ugoani (2014) which showed
that a 1 percent change in EI enhances bank performance by 1.42 percent.
4.3 Discussion
Education is changing all over the
world in methods of learning and in course content. It is changing because
frontiers of knowledge and skills are expanding. In recognition of these
changes, providers of education review the educational needs of their society
and tailor them to meet the requirements of the time. The science of emotional
intelligence is linked to the wisdom of biblical leaders, kings, prophets,
warriors, strategists and visionaries.
There is ample research evidence of
inspiring biblical case studies similar to the present time most successful
business leaders. It is interesting to note that the traits and skills of most
successful biblical leaders such as honesty and integrity, compassion,
motivation, humility, communication, leadership development team development
among others, are among the essential competencies of emotional intelligence.
These abilities have brought fortunes to organizations, and most of the modern
case studies in business and management emphasize the attributes. (WOOLFE,
2002).
In other cases like the Abiriba
philosophy of management, management education is acquired through
apprenticeship training of young people based on patriotism and special
arrangements to acquire genuine business attitudes, skills and knowledge. An
apprentice is engineered, coerced, trained and developed to maintain and
further Abiriba business traditions (ASIKA, 2007).
Teaching programmes aimed at
improving emotional intelligence can occur in several different areas of
training and management education, within an organization, including management
training, as well as communication and empathy training, conflict resolution
and stress management training. Traditional training generally adopts a “one
size fits all” approach that ignores individual complexities while focusing on
cognitive learning.
Cherniss and Goleman (2001) state
that training programmes which utilize a cognitive learning process involve
placing new information into already existing frameworks and ways of
understanding. They assert that such type of training is generally ineffective
when trying to teach emotional intelligence competencies as these skills
involve expanding the neural circuitry of the brain while retraining the brain
centres which control emotion.
Thus, emotional, rather than
cognitive learning techniques must be utilized to teach emotional intelligence.
This less traditional training approach based on self-directed and more
individualized learning arrangements capture and emphasizes the competencies of
emotional intelligence. This model of management education ensures the
maintenance of skills through social support and a supportive work environment
along with management policies and procedures which support the development of
emotional intelligence for organizational effectiveness and profitability.
The ability to do something well or
a skill can be developed through knowledge and practice. This can also be
attained through self-direction, self-regulation, self-control and
self-modification. Succeeding in difficult situations requires that an
individual should possess these attributes of emotional intelligence.
Increasing or decreasing a behavior is a function of the relationship between
the individual and the environment.
A crucial emotional intelligence
skill such as self-modification is an important training technique. According
to Watson and Tharp (1985) it helps in changing negative behaviours to positive
and desirable behaviours. They assert that the skills of self-direction and
self-modification involve analyzing tasks and human reactions to them and
providing for behaviours that are appropriate to the tasks.
Watson and Tharp (1985) suggest that
adjustment is better understood as a skill than a condition. One can think of
problems in adjustment from several points of view as symptoms of inner
malfunctions, as a lack of will power, or as a lack of the skills necessary to
cope with certain situations. The skills of self-direction involve being able
to stop behaving in ways you do not like and start behaving in ways you do
like. When people consciously exercise self-regulation to resist temptations it
is called self-control; when people make a deliberate effort to change our
behavior, it is self-modification.
These are among various emotional
intelligence skills that can be learnt through education and training. Skills
seem the more subtle idea, allowing for variation from one situation to another
and implying the necessity of learning. Organizations are living in an era of
changing environment which is characterized by globalization, computerization,
and information and communication technology as well as changing consumer and
purchasing patterns.
Thus, the global organization needs
to be flexible and acts more intelligently with the environment, because high
firm profitability comes not only from having timely and needed information but
also through understanding the implications or actions that are necessary as a
consequence of such knowledge (AGHA, et al, 2014) Emotional intelligence
provides the strategic flexibility that allows organizations to deal more
effectively with a future they can predict for organizational growth, survival
and profitability.
4.4 Scope
for further study
Because of evidence that emotional
intelligence is useful in behavior modification, further study should examine
the relevance of promoting emotional intelligence at all levels of education in
Nigeria. This will help to ensure that people coming into the workplace are
equipped with the necessary emotional intelligence competencies to bear on the
job.
4.5 Recommendations
i. Educational planners in various
Ministries of Education should include emotional intelligence as a subject of
study in Nigeria, to prepare students for managerial roles.
ii. Business organizations particularly the
organized private sector (OPS) in Nigeria should make training in emotional
intelligence available to their employees to enhance their appreciation of
customer values.
iii. The correctional services like the
Police, Prison and the Road Safety workers in Nigeria should be trained in
emotional intelligence to increase their collaborative skills with the public,
to reduce unnecessary conflicts.
iv. Nigerian leaders and policy makers need
training in emotional intelligence to see if it would help in reducing
corruption in high places, since integrity is a factor of emotional
intelligence. This is urgent because Nigeria is among the most corrupt
countries in the world today.
v. Employers should pay particular
attention to emotional competencies in addition to intelligent quotient during
the employment process. This will help in utilizing the non-intellective
abilities of the vast majority of job applicants.
5. CONCLUSION
Organizational profitability is
closely linked to sound management characterized by such factors as integrity,
honesty, empathy, self-management and control, among other emotional
intelligence factors. Business failures like the recent bank failures in
Nigeria have been associated with inefficient management which suggests that
the operators lacked the essential attributes of emotional intelligence
required for success.
There is a growing body of empirical
evidence to show that professionals who score high on emotional intelligence
are better equipped to chart more profitable ways for their organizations. In terms
of overall performance success, previous study found specifically that a 1
percent change in emotional intelligence leads to 1.42 percent increase in
performance. In furtherance of research on the efficacy of emotional
intelligence, the present study found strong positive relationship between
emotional intelligence, management education and organizational profitability.
This is the crux of the study.
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