A Conceptual Model to Measure Emotional Intelligence of Leaders in the Public Sector of South Africa - Research Proposal Example

Mokgolo et al. (2012) contend that relevant studies on leadership add knowledge that can elevate public service practices with the implementation of effective leadership, retention of valuable staff, and quality of service delivery(Mokgolo., Mokgolo, & Modiba,2012,p.1). South Africa has been ranked as 72 out of 177 in 2014 nations in the Transparency International Corruption Perception Index as against 55th rank in 2009. A sudden increase in public sector financial mismanagement has been attributed to be the main cause for the high score in the corruption index in 2014.

In the year 2010-2011 & 2011-12, wasteful expenditure by national departments soared exponentially. As per remarks of the Auditor-General of SA (hereinafter will be referred to as South Africa), lack of punishments for financial irregularities was the main reason for the soaring financial mismanagement in public sector undertakings of SA. As per Tang, Chen, and Sutarso (2008:58), it seems that scandals and corruption are not triggered by a lack of intelligence but by a lack of virtue or wisdom.

As per Lewicka-Strzalecka (2008), a political leader should have the skill to predict which actions mold social and economic order and to what magnitude not only rests upon moral institution and sensibility but must be footed upon sound knowledge. As per Gartner (2001), in an international conference organized in 2007, American corporations like Hewlett-Packard and American Express presented their accomplishments in evaluating, handling, and developing emotional intelligence and moral (Stachowicz-Stanusch 2010:44).

In all societies around the world, corruption exists at the lower levels of society and it is not possible to prevent it due to its intimate connection to human behavior. When higher echelons of a government indulge in corruption, it will not only impacts society as a whole but also becomes more institutionalized. In South Africa, the anti-corruption laws borrowed from European legal systems were not adequate to address local scenarios (Kelly 2014:8). Such relevant studies include the possession of emotional intelligence in good leadership.