The relationship between transformational leadership, emotional competence and conflict management skills of managers in the public sector

Abstract

In recent years, the South African government has put a lot of energy into the transformation of public sector departments. Effective leadership is a prerequisite in any effort to transform an organization. However, research findings indicate that there is a critical need to develop and train managers in the public sector to deal with numerous challenges in a fast changing world. They do not only need technical competencies but also soft skills to manage interpersonal relationships. This means that the public sector in South Africa needs to develop its leaders effectiveness in dealing with the human side of enterprises. Research in the first world countries on effective leadership behaviour has indicated the following: Firstly, leaders with high levels of emotional competence are more effective in interpersonal situations than those with low levels of emotional competence. Secondly, transformational leadership behaviour has a significant positive relationship with a leader s emotional competence. Lastly, a leader s conflict handling style is associated with his/her effectiveness as a leader. The purpose of the present study was to explore the relationship between managers transformational leadership style effectiveness, their level of emotional competence (emotional expression and constructive discontent) and their conflict management skills within the public sector in South Africa. A survey design was employed to collect data. Questionnaires were completed by 126 managers in a public sector department in the Limpopo Province. The questionnaires included items to assess transformational leadership, emotional competence and conflict management skills, and also to siphon demographic information of the managers. Frequencies for demographic information were computed, as well as correlations for transformational leadership, emotional competencies and conflict management styles in order to test out hypotheses about the relationship between the variables of interest.Findings indicated that the majority of the respondents were Black males under the age group of 41-50, on job levels 11-12, with managerial experience of 1-5 years. The main findings of the study showed the following: (a) There is a very weak,significant positive relationship between transformational leadership and emotional expression, and a negative relationship between transformational leadership style and constructive discontent; (b) There is a relatively weak but significant positive relationship between the transformational leadership style and the constrictive conflict management skills (collaborating and compromising interpersonal conflict management styles); (c) There is a weak but significant negative relationship between the compromising interpersonal conflict management style and emotional expression, and a very weak, non-significant negative relationship between collaboration interpersonal conflict management style and emotional expression; and (d) There is a weak but significant negative relationship between the compromising interpersonal conflict management style and constructive discontent, but a very weak non-significant negative relationship between collaboration interpersonal conflict management style and constructive discontent. These findings led the researcher to believe that the respondents are neither transformational leaders nor emotionally competent, and thus could not either compromise or collaborate with others when they are in an interpersonal conflict situation. It is recommended that managers should be trained to develop their leadership, as well as emotional and conflict management competencies. Even though small sample size was used in this study, there results will be generalized to the whole South African population of public service managers. Further research study with different research methodology is recommended within other public sector departments and provinces within the country.