Non-fiction books and guides have long suggested that emotional intelligence and performance motivation have an influence on the achievement of leadership positions. In her final thesis, Pia Weißberg investigated the extent to which the speed of the promotion process is influenced by both.
Pia Weißberg, B.A.
On the influence of emotional intelligence and achievement motivation on the first career step
Prof. Dr. Inga Mertin (First supervisor)
When addressing the question of what qualifies individuals for leadership positions, the scientific constructs of “performance motivation” and “emotional intelligence” are highly regarded. While the former has been studied since around the 1950s, “emotional intelligence” is a relatively recent and controversially debated research topic. However, the volume of publications in both popular and academic fields speaks volumes about its practical relevance.
To provide decision-making support in light of the shortage of high potentials that CEOs and HR managers in Germany are expected to face in the coming years, Media University student Pia Weißberg addressed the relationship between leadership and emotional intelligence (EI), as well as performance motivation (PM), in her bachelor’s thesis. She derived the existence of such a relationship in the theoretical foundation of her work, based on existing research findings. In her own study, she tested the hypotheses that high EI and high PM positively influence the speed of advancement to the first leadership position. To test these hypotheses, Pia Weißberg employed an online-based survey method, allowing her to reach over 50 participants across Germany. The results of her research are based on a sample independent of specific companies or industries, with all participants having attained their first leadership position within the last five years.
