Examining the Factors on Leaders’ EQ Enhancement

Authors

  • Aw Jia Yi Tun Razak Graduate School, Universiti Tun Abdul Razak, Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Author
  • Hemaloshinee Vasudevan Tun Razak Graduate School, Universiti Tun Abdul Razak, Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Author

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.55578/hrdm.2604.004

Keywords:

Educational Training, Organizational Culture, Personal Traits, Growth Environment, Leader’s EQ

Abstract

Malaysia’s IT industry plays a crucial role in its economic growth, impacting GDP and employment. The Malaysia Digital Economy Blueprint (MyDIGITAL) aims to establish the country as a regional digital economy hub, focusing on technology adoption to enhance productivity and competitiveness. As Malaysia’s industry aims to lead the region’s digital economy, it must embrace technological changes and address increasing global competition. The rapid advancement of technology across sectors has created a significant demand for skilled experts and leaders who fully understand these innovations. This study aims to examine the factors (educational training, organizational culture, personal traits and growth environment) on leaders’ EQ enhancement at Malaysian IT industry. The research aims to use a quantitative method by utilized positivism research philosophy and deductive reasoning emphasizing fact-based data and statistical hypothesis to test variable relationships. The study targets employees and leaders from various IT sectors in Malaysia, including IT manufacturing, IT services, fintech, and e-commerce. This group was selected due to their educational background and organizational and personal goals that may influence their emotional intelligence (EQ) development. Non-probability – convenience sampling is practically oriented, often aimed at obtaining exploratory insights, facilitating quicker data collection, particularly when a complete sampling frame is unnecessary. Educational training and leader’s EQ (H1: p>0.319), organizational culture and leader’s EQ (H2: p>0.695), personal traits and leader’s EQ (H3: p <0.001) and growth environment and leader’s EQ (H4: p<0.001). The research emphasizes the need for leadership development programs to shift from standardized training to customized initiatives that enhance both professional competence and emotional development capabilities. The research addresses gaps in understanding Emotional Intelligence (EQ) enhancement and provides recommendations for leadership development programs. It lays the foundation for findings by identifying key constructs and a theoretical framework related to leadership EQ, contributing to the existing literature.

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Published

2026-04-21

Data Availability Statement

Data are available upon request from the authors.

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