Date of Conferral
2-11-2025
Degree
Ph.D.
School
Psychology
Advisor
Derek Rohde
Abstract
This quantitative study explored the relationship between remote workers’ perceptions of their leaders’ emotional intelligence and their self-reported psychological safety, with gender and tenure as moderating variables. Data from 172 remote employees using a cross-sectional online survey revealed that perceived leader emotional intelligence was a significant predictor of psychological safety, both as a composite measure and across its four dimensions of emotional intelligence: self-emotional appraisal, others’ emotional appraisal, regulation of emotion, and use of emotion. Gender moderated the relationship with the combined interaction of worker and leader gender in female leader–female follower dyads. Tenure with the leader did not moderate the relationship, suggesting that perceptions of emotional intelligence were more critical than the length of the leader-follower relationship. These findings contribute to the understanding of emotionally intelligent leadership in virtual environments. They highlight the importance of emotional intelligence in remote leaders to foster psychological safety, particularly through relational and inclusive leadership practices. By emphasizing emotionally intelligent leadership, organizations can enhance trust, collaboration, and well-being in remote teams, driving innovation and resilience in an evolving workplace landscape.
Recommended Citation
STROUD, JEANINE P., "The Relationship Between Remote Followers’ Perceptions of Leader’s Emotional Intelligence and Followers’ Psychological Safety, Gender, and Tenure" (2025). Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies. 17323.
https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations/17323
