ABSTRACT

Purpose: The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore and describe the impact of a supervisor's Emotional Intelligence on the performance of the associates that work for them within a distribution environment. The research design will include assessing a supervisor's levels of emotional intelligence through the administration of the Emotional Intelligence Appraisal-Me Edition and will include the gathering of data through semi-structured interviews from identified associates that work with them.

Methodology: Convenience purposeful sampling was used to identify supervisors within a distribution environment. A qualitative, multiple case study

approach was used where feedback gathered through semi structured interviews with associates and the results of the Emotional Intelligence Appraisal-Me Edition administered to supervisors was used to explore and describe the impact the emotional intelligence of the supervisors has on the associate's performance.

Findings: On average, the associates interviewed identified the attributes of emotional intelligence, when displayed by their supervisor, as having a significant impact

on their performance. The domains of self - awareness, self - management, and social awareness were identified as having either a significant impact or some impact on their performance. Relationship management behaviors were identified as having the most direct and positive impact on associate's daily performance within a distribution center.

Conclusions: Supervisors that display emotionally intelligent behaviors, such as self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, and relationship management,

when working with associates, within a distribution environment, have a positive impact

on the associate's daily performance.

Implication for Action: Those responsible for training and within an organization, should develop programs that help identify and develop levels of emotional

intelligence amongst the supervisors. They should ensure there is funding to create an ongoing means of training and development that allows its leaders to develop the appropriate occupational skillsets. In addition to providing training, organizations should ensure that there is a method of evaluating the environment, such as taking environmental surveys, and should incorporate behavioral assessments that helps identify how supervisors will respond in conflict or how they positively engage associates.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

CHAPTER I:

INTRODUCTION - - - - - - - - - - - 1

Background - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - . 3

Measuring Productivity - - - - - - - - - - - - . 3

Follower Alignment - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 5

Measuring Emotional Intelligence - - - - - - - - - - 6

Occupational Environments - - - - - - - - - - - - 7

Gaps in the Literature- - - - - - - - - - - - - . 8

Statement of the Research Problem - - - - - - - - - - - . 9

Purpose Statement - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 11

Research Questions - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 12

Significance of the Problem - - - - - - - - - - - - - 12

Definitions- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - . 13

Theoretical Terms - - - - - - - - - - - - - - . 13

Operational Terms - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 15

Delimitations - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 16

Organization of the Study - - - - - - - - - - - - . 17

CHAPTER II:

LITERATURE REVIEW - - - - - - - - - . 18

Logistics and Supply Chain Management - - - - - - - - - 18

The Beer Game - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 19

Distribution - - - - - - - - - - - - - - . 21

Food Distribution - - - - - - - - - - - - - 24

Productivity Measurements - - - - - - - - - - - 26

Common KPI's - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 27

Approaches to Leadership- - - - - - - - - - - - . 30

Trait Approach - - - - - - - - - - - - - - . 30

Contingency Theory- - - - - - - - - - - - - . 32

Authentic Leadership - - - - - - - - - - - - - 33

Transformational Leadership - - - - - - - - - - - - 35

Idealized influence. - - - - - - - - - - - - - . 35

Inspirational motivation - - - - - - - - - - - 35

Intellectual stimulation. Tr - - - - - - - - - - - 36

Individualized consideration. - - - - - - - - - - 36

The Need for Effective Leaders - - - - - - - - - - - 36

Intelligence Defined - - - - - - - - - - - - - . 37

Multiple Intelligences - - - - - - - - - - - - . 39

Multiple Abilities - - - - - - - - - - - - - 39

Emotional Intelligence Introduction - - - - - - - - - - 41

Emotional intelligence in the workplace- - - - - - - - - . 43

Criticisms of emotional intelligence. - - - - - - - - - . 44

Cultural Intelligence- - - - - - - - - - - - - . 46

History of Emotional Intelligence - - - - - - - - - - - . 46

Gardner - - - - - - - - - - - - - - . 48

Bar-On- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 48

The EQ-i. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 49

Mayer and Salovey. - - - - - - - - - - - - - 50

MSCEIT - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 52

Goleman - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 53

Emotional and Social Competence Inventory- - - - - - . 54

Bradberry and Greaves. - - - - - - - - - - - 55

Emotional Intelligence Appraisal®-Me Edition. - - - - - - 55

Emotional Intelligence Models - - - - - - - - - - - 56

The ability model - - - - - - - - - - - - - 56

The mixed model. - - - - - - - - - - - - . 57

Impact of a Leader with Emotional Intelligence- - - - - - - . 58

Conceptual Framework - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 60

Conclusion - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 61

CHAPTER III:

METHODOLOGY - - - - - - - - - - - 63

Overview - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 63

Purpose Statement - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 63

Research Questions - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 63

Research Design- - - - - - - - - - - - - - 64

Non-Experimental - - - - - - - - - - - - - - . 64

Qualitative - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 64

Multiple Case Study - - - - - - - - - - - - - . 65

Population and Sample - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 66

Population - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 66

Sample- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - . 66

Instrumentation - - - - - - - - - - - - - - . 69

Interview Instrument - - - - - - - - - - - - - 69

Instrument Development - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Expert Panel - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 70

Field Testing - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - . 71

Emotional Intelligence Assessment - - - - - - - - - - . 72

Instrument Validity and Reliability - - - - - - - - - - . 73

Interview Instrument - - - - - - - - - - - - - 74

Emotional Intelligence Assessment - - - - - - - - - - . 74

Data Collection - - - - - - - - - - - - - - . 75

Institutional Review Board - - - - - - - - - - - . 75

Selection of Organizations - - - - - - - - - - - - 76

Interview Process - - - - - - - - - - - - - 77

Emotional Intelligence Assessment - - - - - - - - - - . 78

Data Analysis - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - . 78

Transcription of Interview Data - - - - - - - - - - - 78

Coding of Data - - - - - - - - - - - - - - . 79

Interrater Reliability - - - - - - - - - - - - - . 80

Emotional Intelligence Assessment - - - - - - - - - - . 80

Triangulation - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - . 80

Limitations - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 81

Summary - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 82

CHAPTER IV:

RESEARCH, DATA COLLECTION, AND FINDINGS- - - - . 84

Purpose Statement - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 84

Research Questions - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 85

Methodology - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 85

Population and Sample - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 87

Data Analysis - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - . 89

Data Analysis per Supervisor- - - - - - - - - - - - 90

Supervisor 1. - - - - - - - - - - - - - . 90

Research question 1 - - - - - - - - - - - 91

Research question 2 - - - - - - - - - - - 92

Research question 3 - - - - - - - - - - - 93

Research question 4. - - - - - - - - - - - - . 93

Research question 5. - - - - - - - - - - - - . 94

Supervisor 2 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 95

Research question 1 - - - - - - - - - - - 96

Research question 2. - - - - - - - - - - - - . 97

Research question 3. - - - - - - - - - - - - . 98

Research question 4. - - - - - - - - - - - - . 98

Research question 5. - - - - - - - - - - - - . 99

Supervisor 3. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - . 100

Research question 1 - - - - - - - - - - - - 101

Research question 2. - - - - - - - - - - - - 102

Research question 3. - - - - - - - - - - - - 102

Research question 4. - - - - - - - - - - - - 103

Research question 5. - - - - - - - - - - - - 104

Supervisor 4. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - . 104

Research question 1. - - - - - - - - - - - -

106

Research question 2. - - - - - - - - - - - - 106

Research question 3. - - - - - - - - - - - - 107

Research question 4. - - - - - - - - - - - - 108

Research question 5. - - - - - - - - - - - - 108

Supervisor 5. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - . 109

Research question 1 - - - - - - - - - - - - 110

Research question 2. - - - - - - - - - - - - 111

Research question 3 - - - - - - - - - - - - 112

Research question 4. - - - - - - - - - - - - 112

Research question 5. - - - - - - - - - - - - 113

Supervisor 6. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - . 114

Research question 1. - - - - - - - - - - - - 115

Research question 2. - - - - - - - - - - - - 115

Research question 3. - - - - - - - - - - - - 116

Research question 4. - - - - - - - - - - - - 117

Research question 5. - - - - - - - - - - - - 117

Supervisor 7. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - . 118

Research question 1. - - - - - - - - - - - - 119

Research question 2. - - - - - - - - - - - - 120

Research question 3. - - - - - - - - - - - - 121

Research question 4. - - - - - - - - - - - - 121

Research question 5. - - - - - - - - - - - - 122

Supervisor 8. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - . 123

Research question 1. - - - - - - - - - - - - 124

Research question 2. - - - - - - - - - - - - 125

Research question 3. - - - - - - - - - - - - 125

Research question 4.

EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE: A LEADER'S IMPACT ON PRODUCTIVITY IN A DISTRIBUTION ENVIRONMENT

Presented To