EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE AND ACADEMIC LEADERSHIP EFFECTIVENESS: THE MEDIATING ROLE OF TRANSFORMATIONAL LEADERSHIP IN PRIVATE HIGHER EDUCATION IN INDIA

Abstract

This study examines the association between emotional intelligence (EI) and academic leadership effectiveness (ALE) in private higher education and tests transformational leadership (TFL) as the behavioural mechanism connecting the two constructs. A quantitative cross-sectional survey was conducted with 300 respondents comprising 150 academic leaders and 150 matched faculty members from private higher educational institutions in Lucknow, Varanasi, Ghaziabad, and Agra, Uttar Pradesh, India. Academic leaders reported their EI, whereas faculty members evaluated the transformational leadership and effectiveness of the respective academic leaders. Data were analysed using IBM SPSS and AMOS through reliability analysis, exploratory diagnostics, confirmatory factor analysis, Pearson correlation, structural equation modelling, and bootstrap mediation analysis. EI showed a positive relationship with TFL (β = .490, p < .001), and TFL positively predicted ALE (β = .500, p < .001). EI also retained a significant direct relationship with ALE (β = .285, p < .001). The indirect effect of EI on ALE through TFL was .245 (95% CI [.161, .346]), indicating complementary partial mediation. The findings show that emotional capability is associated with academic leadership effectiveness partly because it is expressed through transformational behaviour. The study contributes source-separated evidence from Indian private higher education and suggests that leadership development should connect emotional capability with observable academic leadership practice.