Relationships Among Emotional Intelligence, Cultural Intelligence, Job Performance, and Leader Effectiveness: A Study of County Extension Directors in Ohio DISSERTATION Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Philosophy in the Graduate School of The Ohio State University By Yueh-Ti Chen, B.S., M.A. Graduate Program in Agricultural and Extension Education The Ohio State University 2013 Dissertation Committee: Robert J. Birkenholz, Advisor Graham R. Cochran, Advisor Jeffrey E. King Jeffrey D. Ford Copyright by Yueh-Ti Chen 2013 Abstract Leader effectiveness and job performance are measures important to organizational effectiveness. Personal capacities such as emotional intelligence and cultural intelligence, brought to life through behaviors on the job, are thought to be related to leader effectiveness and job performance. However, empirical studies that assess the relationships among measures of leader effectiveness, job performance, emotional intelligence and cultural intelligence are limited in general and specifically in the Extension system. County Extension Directors (CEDs) employed by Ohio State University (OSU) Extension are responsible for providing administrative leadership for county offices. The changing environment, trends affecting OSU Extension, and challenges associated with working with diverse audience, together create the need for CEDs to serve as role models for building trusting work relationships, leading teams, and collaborating with diverse clientele. The purpose of this study was to explore the relationships among measures of job performance, leader effectiveness, emotional intelligence, and cultural intelligence of CEDs in Ohio, while controlling for potential effect of measures of leader behavior and trusting work relationship. This study was descriptive in nature and utilized a correlational research design with quantitative methodology. The target population for this census study consisted of ii CEDs in OSU Extension, and their subordinates and associates. Data collection was completed in three phases using historical data and online survey instruments. Data collection from CEDs included measures of cultural intelligence, and emotional intelligence. Subordinates and associates of CED respondents were invited to provide data on their perception regarding their respective CED for the measures of leader behavior, trusting work relationship, and leader effectiveness. Data for the job performance measure were collected from OSU Human Resources personnel. Data analysis involved the use of descriptive statistics, multiple regression, and correlation analysis. Findings from this study showed that neither emotional intelligence, nor cultural intelligence explained a significant proportion of the variance associated with either the job performance or perceived leader effectiveness of Ohio CEDs, after controlling for the effect of intervening variables of perceived leader behavior and perceived trusting work relationship. The CEDs’ measure of job performance was not related to perceived leader effectiveness. Emotional intelligence of Ohio CEDs was positively related to their cultural intelligence, perceived leader behavior, and perceived leader effectiveness. Finally, perceived leader behavior also exhibited a positive relationship with perceived trusting work relationship, and perceived leader effectiveness. Results of this study support previous research in suggesting that leader behavior and trusting relationships are important factors in leader effectiveness. The findings raised questions about whether existing CEDs’ job performance review can be used as an adequate proxy of their actual job performance in the role of administrative leadership. iii Causal relationships among measures of emotional intelligence, leader behavior and leader effectiveness can be further explored through structural equation modeling analysis. Recommendations for administrative leaders in OSU Extension include: demonstrate leader behavior to engender trust; enhance leader effectiveness through a reciprocal process between leader behavior and trusting work relationship; and engage in leader behaviors that are informed by emotional intelligence. iv This work is dedicated to my loving parents. Without their wisdom, guidance, and enormous support, I would not be able to strive to reach my dreams! Thank you! Feng (Li)-Cheng Chen 1942- 2012 In Loving Memory My dearest father, you are truly missed, and will be forever loved! v Acknowledgments With all my heart, I would like to express my deepest appreciation to everyone in my support system who assisted me during my PhD journey. Thank you all for enriching my learning experience and making this journey truly wonderful! My sincere thanks for funding support go to the George R. and Genevieve B. Gist Endowment for supporting this study, as well as my doctoral education to serve as a Graduate Research Associate. My appreciation also goes to the J. Robert and Catharine P. Warmbrod Graduate and Research Fund for supporting this study. I am heartily grateful to my advisors - Dr. Robert Birkenholz and Dr. Graham Cochran. Thank you, Dr. Birkenholz, for your enormous patience and guidance! You demonstrated that a true educator may lead by paying forward through ripples of effect. Thank you, Dr. Cochran, for your patient guidance and encouragement! You inspired me to explore the joys of scholarly work and enhanced my personal philosophy with your facilitator teaching style! I am also thankful for my committee members, Dr. Jeff King, and Dr. Jeffrey Ford. Thank you, Dr. King, for your inspiration and guidance! You demonstrated how I may navigate to maximize the ‘dig deeper’ potential. Thank you, Dr. Ford, for your vi inspiration and critique! You helped to expand my horizons and to enjoy exploring leadership studies. I cannot find words to express my greatest gratitude to Dr. Larry Miller, who has been my professor, as well as a dear friend to me and my family since my senior year at National Taiwan University. Thank you, Dr. Miller, for your endless encouragements, advice and support both in work and in life! Thank you for offering your home as a cozy place to stay each time I first touched down in Columbus to start my academic journeys! Most importantly, thank you for opening up the opportunities to my higher education in the U.S., both master’s and doctoral degrees. I would like to extend my appreciation to the George R. and Genevieve B. Gist Endowed Chair, Dr. Keith Smith, for providing me with the opportunity to pursue this study, as well as my doctoral degree by serving as a Graduate Research Associate. Thank you, Dr. Smith! Your kind support and dedication for execution demonstrated to me what it takes to be a great leader. I am also grateful for the wonderful support I received to complete my study. Thank you, Dr. Gary Straquadine, for helping to find funding resource for supporting my study! Thank you, Dr. Nicole Gillespie and Dr. Linn Van Dyne, for your generosity to offer free permissions to use your instruments in my study! Thank you, Dr. Garee Earnest, for providing your insights for my research design and assisting with my data collection! Thank you, Betty Watkins and Cheryl Buck, for you recommendations and assistance with my data collection! Thank you, Dr. Greg Davis, for providing creative ideas to proceed with my data collection! Thank you, Dr. Joe Gliem, for sharing your vii expertise and guidance to ensure the accuracy of my data analysis! Thank you, Dr. Rahman Mohammed, for allocating your time and sharing your expertise for statistics analysis! Thank you, Dr. Kathryn Corl, for offering beneficial critics for my dissertation refinement! This dissertation would not have been possible without the generosity of the participants of my study. To all who participated in my study, County Extension Directors, Extension professionals at the Ohio State University and Arkansas Extension, thank you very much! Your participation made my study possible! I would also like to extend my sincere thanks to all my colleagues, graduate school peers and friends who provided strong support, encouragements and many joys throughout my journey. To a special friend, Peter Laughlin, thank you for your patience and support by not only proofreading my dissertation work but always standing by me and providing comfort whenever needed, I am truly grateful! Thank you for being part of my journey! To my Taiwanese support group in Columbus, thank you, Ya-Ting Ellen Hsu, Chao-Yin Chen, Cho-Hao Lin, Sheng-Wei Chang, Moto Teng, Priscilla Lee, Ta- Ming Liu, Jie-Yu Liu, Jia-Yu Holly Ke, and Tsung-Ta David Hsu, for being my sisters and brothers, and providing support to me. You have enriched my fond memories of this journey! I am fortunate to have met you at OSU. To Cliff Lee, thank you for constantly checking in and providing encouragement, even when you are on business trips traveling around the world. I am grateful for having a life mentor like you! Lastly, my deepest gratitude goes to my family. To my sister and her family, my brother and his wife, thank you for being supportive of my dreams, listening to me viii whenever needed and providing joys to enlighten my life while studying abroad! To my Mom, thank you so much for supporting and encouraging the pursuit of my PhD journey, and most importantly, being a great role model of perseverance as well as the center of love and peace to our family! ix