Emotional Intelligence Scale for Leaders (EIEL, LEIS)

Abstract

The Emotional Intelligence Scale for Leaders (Escala de Inteligência Emocional de Líderes, EIEL), also known as the Leader Emotional Intelligence Scale (LEIS), is a psychometric instrument developed by Almeida et al. (2023). Its primary objective is to quantify four specific dimensions of emotional competence relevant to leadership contexts.

The theoretical foundation of the EIEL is rooted in the Trait Emotional Intelligence model, as conceptualized by Petrides and collaborators (2016). This approach views emotional intelligence not strictly as a cognitive ability, but rather as a trait that integrates both intelligence abilities and crucial personality attributes. The initial stages of development demonstrated strong evidence of Content Validity, confirmed by high agreement indices (RVC = 1) from five expert judges and favorable indices (RVC ≥ 0.900) from 40 lay judges.

Following initial validation, the measure was administered to a sample of Brazilian leaders. Subsequent rigorous Factor Analysis refined the scale into its final 48-item version, structured across four core dimensions. The subsequent psychometric evaluation provided comprehensive results supporting the instrument’s overall reliability and structural validity for use in organizational settings.

Keywords

Emotional Intelligence, Emotional Intelligence Abilities, Emotionality, Emotionality (Personality), Factorial Validity, Leadership, Leadership Qualities, Leadership Style, Self-Control, Sociability, Well Being, Wellbeing, Organizational and Occupational Measures, Organizational Leadership

Authors

de Almeida, Paloma Pereira, do Nascimento, Rodrigo Leão Ferreira, Landeira-Fernandez, J., Borsa, Juliane Callegaro

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Purpose

The central goal of the Leader Emotional Intelligence Scale (EIEL) is to provide a standardized assessment of four key abilities that underpin effective leadership, as defined within the trait emotional intelligence framework. The scale is designed specifically for application within organizational and occupational contexts.

The four primary emotional intelligence abilities measured by the instrument are: Emotionality, Self-Control, Sociability, and overall Well-Being. These dimensions are crucial for understanding how leaders manage their own emotions and interact successfully with others in a professional environment.

Construct

The EIEL is fundamentally designed to measure constructs related to Emotional Intelligence and Leadership. It adopts the Trait EI framework, which posits that emotional self-perceptions (such as empathy, assertiveness, and happiness) constitute a critical aspect of personality that influences behavior and performance, particularly in leadership roles.

The four measured dimensions (Emotionality, Self-Control, Sociability, and Well-Being) collectively operationalize the construct of Trait Emotional Intelligence specific to the demands and context of leadership within organizations.

Validity

The validity of the EIEL was primarily established through evidence of Factorial Validity. The validation process began with establishing strong initial Content Validity, where expert and lay judges confirmed the relevance and representativeness of the items to the intended construct, achieving very high agreement indices (RVC ≥ 0.900).

Further statistical support for validity was provided by the results of the Factor Analysis, which confirmed the structural integrity of the instrument. This analysis demonstrated that the 48 items accurately load onto and measure the intended underlying four-factor constructs (Emotionality, Self-Control, Sociability, and Well-Being).

Reliability

The internal consistency and Reliability of the scale were comprehensively assessed using both Cronbach’s alpha ($alpha$) and omega ($Omega$) coefficients across the total scale and its sub-factors. The results indicated high levels of internal consistency for the majority of the subscales, with values consistently exceeding the 0.8 threshold.

Specific reliability coefficients for the factors were: Emotionality ($alpha$ = 0.858; $Omega$ = 0.859), Self-Control ($alpha$ = 0.860; $Omega$ = 0.859), and Sociability ($alpha$ = 0.851; $Omega$ = 0.854). The Well-Being factor also demonstrated good consistency ($alpha$ = 0.777; $Omega$ = 0.777). The internal consistency for the total 48-item scale was found to be $alpha$ = 0.810 and $Omega$ = 0.738, indicating sufficient reliability for research use.

Factor Analysis

The validation study employed a robust methodological approach involving both Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) and Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA). The initial EFA successfully isolated a four-factor solution which accounted for 34.5% of the total variance in the scale items, supporting the hypothesized structure of the EIEL.

This four-factor structure was subsequently tested and confirmed using the CFA model. The resulting fit indices indicated good model fit, providing strong evidence for the factorial structure of the scale: $chi^2(gl)$ = 1570,442* (1121), $chi^2/gl$ = 1.40, CFI = 0.970, GFI = 0.968, TLI = 0.067, SRMR = 0.035, and RMSEA (90% CI) = (0.039 – 0.031).

Instrument

Test Type: This is an original Inventory/Questionnaire.

Format: The instrument consists of 48 items rated on a five-point Likert-type format, with responses ranging from 1 (I totally disagree) to 5 (I totally agree). The test is typically administered electronically.

Language Available: The scale is available exclusively in Portuguese.

Population Group: The intended population for this scale is human, applicable to both male and female participants.

Age Group: This scale is designed for use with adults, defined as individuals aged 18 years and older.

Population Details: The validation study was conducted specifically with a sample of Emotional Intelligence Leaders located in Brazil.

Test Methodology: The development and validation involved rigorous psychometric procedures, including evaluations of Test Validity, Content Validity, Test Reliability, and Internal Consistency. The structural properties were confirmed using Factor Analysis, specifically employing both Confirmatory Factor Analysis and Exploratory Factor Analysis.

Keywords

Emotional Intelligence, Emotional Intelligence Abilities, Emotionality, Emotionality (Personality), Factorial Validity, Leadership, Leadership Qualities, Leadership Style, Self-Control, Sociability, Well Being, Wellbeing, Organizational and Occupational Measures, Organizational Leadership

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Authors

de Almeida, Paloma Pereira

• Author ORCID Identifier: No data is Available

• Affiliation: Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio de Janeiro (PUC-Rio)

• Affiliation Email addresses: [email protected]

• Correspondence Address: [email protected]

do Nascimento, Rodrigo Leão Ferreira

• Author ORCID Identifier: No data is Available

• Affiliation: Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio de Janeiro (PUC-Rio)

• Affiliation Email addresses: [email protected]

Landeira-Fernandez, J.

• Author ORCID Identifier: No data is Available

• Affiliation: Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio de Janeiro (PUC-Rio)

• Affiliation Email addresses: [email protected]

Borsa, Juliane Callegaro

• Author ORCID Identifier: No data is Available

• Affiliation: Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio de Janeiro (PUC-Rio)

• Affiliation Email addresses: [email protected]

Permissions & Fee and Test Year

Permissions: Interested parties seeking permission to utilize the EIEL scale should contact the corresponding author, Paloma Pereira de Almeida.

Fee: This instrument is not classified as a commercial product, and therefore, there is no fee associated with its use in research or academic settings.

Test Year: 2023

Reference’s

de Almeida, P. P., do Nascimento, R. L. F., Landeira-Fernandez, J., & Borsa, J. C. (2023). Primeiras evidências de validade da Escala de Inteligência Emocional de Líderes [First evidence of validity of the Leaders Emotional Intelligence Scale]. Revista Psicologia Organizações e Trabalho, 23(3), 2634–2644. https://doi.org/10.5935/rpot/2023.3.24719

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Items of the Escala de Inteligência Emocional de Líderes (EIEL, LEIS)

No data is Available