The role and impact of emotional intelligence (EQ) on the leadership styles of the systems integration management team within T-Systems

ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The aim of this thesis is an investigation and study into the impact of emotional intelligence (EQ) on the leadership qualities and competencies of the management team of the T-Systems South-Africa’s Systems Integration (SI) department.The Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) business arena is a volatile and unpredictable environment that brings about unique challenges for the leadership qualities and skills of the modern leader and team member.During his studies towards the degree of Master in Business Administration (MBA) at the University of Stellenbosch, the researcher was introduced to the concept of emotional intelligence and the impact that it could have on the management of people and the growth and success of an organisation as a whole. Organisations are investing more and more in ICT practices to direct their business initiatives towards financial success. These investments include the professional disciplines such as program and project management.This lead to the question whether the so-called “hard” sciences that are applied on a daily base to govern a project, team or a business will be enough to sustain growth and ensure financial sustainability for a company. The importance of the “softer” sciences such as EQ are often overlooked and the researcher wanted to investigate the impact that increased awareness and knowledge regarding EQ abilities could have on leadership within an ICT department towards achieving overall success.The value of EQ can only be understood if managers and teams understand the concept and potential impact of EQ on both a personal and professional level to guide them to eventual success, even in difficult and trying times.The aim of this study, whilst focusing on the impact of EQ on leadership, will be to provide information and create awareness of the EQ concept to the broader SI department’s employees.