Abstract

As higher education changes, academic deans’ roles also adapt to meet the demands of increased enrollment and serving diverse student populations. Academic deans lead from the middle of their institutions; they must report to university administration, while serving the faculty members within their respective colleges or schools (Bright & Richards, 2001; Buller, 2007; Butin, 2016; Dill, 1980; Gallos, 2002; Morris, 1981; Perlmutter, 2017). To meet these demands, academic deans must develop emotional intelligence to lead effectively. Emotional intelligence serves as a skillset for academic deans to use in navigating their administrative duties and serving as leaders for their faculty and staff. This study focused on determining whether academic deans’ emotional intelligence is related to their leadership effectiveness. The researcher hypothesized that emotional intelligence and leadership effectiveness were related. A survey consisting of demographic questions, the Genos Emotional Intelligence Inventory, and the Leadership Practices Inventory were used to measure whether emotional intelligence served as a predictor for leadership effectiveness. Results indicated that emotional intelligence indeed served as an indicator of leadership effectiveness for academic deans.

Recommended Citation

Tabors, Christy M. and Brewer, Jacob F. (2020) "Deaning from the Middle: Academic Deans’ Emotional Intelligence and Leadership Effectiveness," Journal of Educational Leadership in Action: Vol. 6: Iss. 3, Article 5.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.62608/2164-1102.1016
Available at: https://digitalcommons.lindenwood.edu/ela/vol6/iss3/5

Comments

Christy M. Tabors, Ed.D., is the Manager of Research and Learning for Tarleton State University’s Dick Smith Library in Stephenville, TX as well as a current adjunct faculty member for the Doctor of Leadership (Ed.D.) program at Hardin-Simmons University in Abilene, TX. She is interested in teaching, researching, and writing in the diverse areas of library science and higher education leadership.

Jacob F. Brewer, Ph.D., DPT, PT is the Associate Program Director and Professor of the Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) Program as well as a founding and current faculty member and dissertation chair for many in the Doctor of Leadership (Ed.D.) program at Hardin-Simmons University in Abilene, TX. He is Board Certified in Clinical Neurology and has maintained a clinical practice, taught, researched, written, and published in the diverse areas of healthcare and educational leadership at both state and national levels.