Determinants of Leadership Development in an Emerging Economy: The Role Emotional Intelligence

The purpose of this paper is to examine the determinants of leadership development in the context of the emerging economy and to analyse the extent to which emotional intelligence (EI) moderates the determinants of leadership development, with a focus on the Ghanaian construction industry (GCI). Limited research has been conducted regarding the status and role of emotional intelligence as a moderator of leadership development determinants within the GCI, an emerging economy. The study adopted a quantitative research approach and a survey-based design. A structured questionnaire has been used to solicit data from a cross-section of the Ghanaian construction industry’s workers, including architects, engineers, quantity surveyors, project managers, and site supervisors. Our hypotheses have been tested using partial least square (PLS) Models. The study has revealed that leadership education, technological usage, stakeholder participation, and entrepreneurial orientation are important determinants of leadership development. Moreover, the study has revealed that emotional intelligence significantly moderates the determinants of leadership. This paper has implications for leadership development in the context of the emerging economy by considering contextual factors such as leadership education, technological usage, and stakeholder participation. Besides, entrepreneurial orientation facilitates leadership development determinants in the Ghanaian construction industry. Again, stakeholders could be guided by these outcomes to formulate robust policies to enhance leadership growth and development in Ghana in order to encourage growth in the sector.