As the growing body of literature draws on various theoretical perspectives of ambidexterity - an organization’s ability to balance both exploration and exploitation activities - an important stream has emerged that focuses on the role of leaders in the development of ambidexterity. This thesis is seeking to advance knowledge on how SME leaders engage in ambidextrous leadership to respond to the complexities of innovation and improve employee’s innovative behaviors as well as overall business performance. Using survey generated data from 98 SMEs, the first paper reveals that opening and closing leadership behaviors predicted employee explorative and exploitative innovation behaviors respectively above all control variables. The combination of both leadership behaviors also predicted employee ambidexterity. A significant revelation was that the effect of ambidextrous leadership behaviors on employee innovation behaviors is mediated by adaptive/flexible leadership behavior. The second paper investigates the association of potentially relevant antecedents: personality traits, emotional intelligence, adaptive/flexible leadership, transformational leadership and transactional leadership to ambidextrous leadership behaviors (including opening leadership behaviors and closing leadership behaviors). With the exception of personality traits which showed no relationship to ambidextrous leadership, the other independent variables showed varying relationships to ambidextrous leadership. Using a qualitative methodology (interviews), the third paper explores ambidextrous leadership behaviors in female entrepreneurs in relation to gender-role identity. Our findings from semi-structured interviews with 14 female entrepreneurs in Wales reveal that female leaders in our study are mostly androgynous and ambidextrous. Our results demonstrate that female entrepreneurs have little or no consideration for gender stereotypes in performing their leadership duties. Rather, greater focus is placed on demonstrating their competence using traits and leadership behaviors that drive goal accomplishment including the integration of stereotypic masculine and feminine leadership behaviors as considered necessary. Additionally, we observe that the choice of leadership behavior/trait that is emphasized at any point in time is contingent on contextual or situational demands of work as well as individual competencies of the entrepreneur. Overall, this thesis highlights theoretical and practical implications for ambidextrous leadership. Further, it provides steps towards effective understanding of ambidextrous leadership development and practical applications. This thesis indicates that ambidextrous leadership is important for SMEs seeking to enhance employee innovative work behaviors.

Magister Artium (Psychology) - MA(Psych) / Literature on the experiences of psychology students is limited, particularly in the South African context of previously disadvantaged institutions. More specifically, not much is known about levels of emotional intelligence (EI) and coping during higher education training. Successful academic performance depends on adherence to EI criteria, including accurate acknowledgement of, and responses to emotions in others, efficiently negotiating relationships and directing one’s motivations towards explicit goals. Coping refers to the constantly changing cognitive and behavioural responses that attempt to manage internal and/or external stressors. This study aimed to understand the relationship between emotional intelligence and coping, and tested the hypothesis that higher levels of emotional intelligence will be associated with higher levels of coping. It adopted a quantitative approach with a cross-sectional survey research design. The sample included 114 students who were enrolled in the psychology third- year and honours programmes at the University of the Western Cape at the time of the study. A purposive, convenience sampling method was used, and data was collected using a self- constructed demographic questionnaire (DQ), the Assessing Emotions Scale (AES), and the Ways of Coping Scale (WOCS). The Statistical Software Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) was used to analyse the data. Correlational analysis of variance (ANOVA) and multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) were applied. Ethical stipulations included that participation was voluntary, the identity of respondents was kept anonymous, and confidentiality was respected. The findings indicated that there was no significant relationship between EI and coping. Conversely, it was found that students who worked while studying displayed increased levels of EI, and those who intended to further their studies on master’s level, utilised higher-level coping strategies. Recommendations are therefore that further studies include actual measured abilities to complement the self-report instrument used in this study.

Thesis (MA)--University of Stellenbosch, 2007. / Bibliography. Also available via the Internet.

Bipolar I disorder (BD) is one of the leading causes of disability among adults. Despite the fact that those with BD are at significantly greater risk for experiencing psychosocial hardship, many with the disorder function quite well. Researchers have shown this variability in quality of life to be partly explained by symptom severity, educational attainment, illness characteristics, and cognitive variables (e.g., executive function). The current study extends this research by examining the role of emotional intelligence in the quality of life and social and occupational functioning of people with BD. I hypothesized a significant proportion of the variance in quality of life and social and occupational functioning would be explained by emotional intelligence, above and beyond the variance explained by the aforementioned variables. Forty-two participants with BD were recruited and completed a battery of measures to assess quality of life, cognition, and emotional intelligence. Results indicated that emotional intelligence, as measured by the Mayer-Salovey-Caruso Emotional Intelligence Test, did not explain any unique variance in quality of life. Self-reported emotional intelligence, on the other hand, did explain unique variance in both subjective well-being and social functioning.

Jennifer Howard. Adkins April 12, 2004 51 pages Directed by: Dr. William Pfohl, Dr. Antony Norman, and Dr. Reagan Brown Department of Psychology Western Kentucky University In the United States today there are approximately 1.5 million students being home schooled. With this ever growing number, it is important to examine this unique population in order to determine the effects this alternative form of education will have on these students, not just academically, but in other areas as well. The purpose of this study is to examine the concepts of emotional intelligence and social skills in home schooled students. One hundred home schooled students and their parents participated in this study by completing emotional intelligence and social skills questionnaires. Results of the study support the hypotheses that the home schooled students would have higher levels of social skills and lower scores on the problem behaviors scale than the standardization population. In regards to emotional intelligence, differences were found among the elementary and secondary grade levels of the home schooled children. Home schooled elementary students achieved higher scores than the standardization population on two of the seven areas measured. No significant differences were found in the other areas. Home schooled secondary students achieved higher scores than did the standardization population on four of the seven areas measured. No significant differences were found in the other areas.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Florida State University, 2004. / Advisor: Dr. Frances Prevatt, Florida State University, College of Education, Dept. of Educational Psychology and Learning Systems. Title and description from dissertation home page (viewed June 15, 2004). Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Ohio State University, 2004. / Title from first page of PDF file. Document formatted into pages; contains xiii, 134 p.; also includes grapics. Includes abstract and vita. Advisor: Jo Jones, Dept. of Agricultural Education. Includes bibliographical references (p. 122-134).

Thesis (Ed. D.)--West Virginia University, 2003. / Title from document title page. Document formatted into pages; contains vii, 128 p. Vita. Includes abstract. Includes bibliographical references (p. 94-112).

M. Tech. Policing / Struggling with stress, anxiety and/or depression can adversely affect work performance. This study aimed to determine how levels of Emotional Intelligence were related to levels of overall stress, anxiety or depression.

The extant literature on emotional intelligence (EI) is replete with claims that EI is an important antecedent (higher than IQ in many cases) of job performance and success (e.g., Goleman, 1995). Additionally, the EI literature continues to debate its scope and relationship with personality factors (e.g., McCrae, 2000). To clarify these major issues, I drew upon socioanalytic theory (Hogan & Shelton, 1998a) to develop a model predicting the direct effects of both the Big Five personality traits and EI on multiple forms of performance (i.e., task, control, contextual, and innovative performance as well as relationship supportive and disruptive behaviors) and the moderating effects of EI (conceptualized as a social skill) on the relationship between the Big Five and performance. / The proposed model was tested with two on-line instruments completed by 116 Hong Kong managers. One instrument was an abilities test of emotional intelligence (MSCEIT 2.0: Mayer, Salovey, & Caruso, 2002). The other was a survey of self-reported personality and workplace behavioral data. Multiple hierarchical (moderator) regression was used to analyze the data. / Hypotheses in the proposed model were generally supported. Extraversion was a significant positive predictor of relationship supportive behaviors. Agreeableness had a positive influence on contextual performance and relationship supportive behaviors; it was a negative predictor of relationship disruptive behaviors. Conscientiousness was positively associated with task performance, and emotional stability was a negative influence on relationship disruptive behaviors. Except for Branch Three (understanding emotions) of EI, all branches were significant in predicting various forms of performance. Branch One (perceiving emotions) had a negative effect on contextual and relationship disruptive behaviors. Branch Two (facilitating emotions) was a negative predictor of relationship disruptive behaviors. Branch Four (managing emotions) had a negative influence on relationship supportive behaviors. The effects of EI on contextual performance and relationship supportive behaviors were in the opposite direction hypothesized. / Several interactions of EI and personality were significant in predicting all except relationship supportive behaviors. Agreeableness was involved in three influential interactions with EI; for those with high EI scores, relationships between agreeableness and task, contextual, and innovative performance were enhanced. Intellectance interacted with EI to predict innovative performance; in this case, EI had a suppresive effect. For relationship disruptive behaviors, EI interacted with both conscientiousness and emotional stability to counteract the negative effects of those personality traits. / This study has made several important contributions to the literature. First, it has clarified the (joint) roles of EI and personality on performance. Second, it has expanded the performance criterion space beyond the traditional focus on task and contextual performance by including measures of innovative performance as well as relationship supportive and disruptive behaviors. Third, it has provided an explicit test of socioanalytic theory by conceptualizing EI as a social skill that interacts with personality to predict performance. Finally, these findings have significant practical value to the selection and assessment of managers. / Thesis (PhD)--University of South Australia, 2004.