Trust in Army Officers: A Causal-Comparative Study Exploring the Relationship Between Leader Emotional Intelligence, Leader-Member Exchange, and Subordinate Trust in Army Leaders
Trust in Army Officers: A Causal-Comparative Study Exploring the Relationship Between Leader Emotional Intelligence, Leader-Member Exchange, and Subordinate Trust in Army Leaders
Mitchell Payne | 2024
Abstract
This research study examined the relationship between leader emotional intelligence (EI), leader-member exchange (LMX), and organizational trust among Army officers. Using a quantitative approach, the researcher hypothesized that EI and LMX were correlated (H1, H2) and predictive (H3, H4, H5) of organizational trust. This research used a 39-item cross-sectional survey comprising six demographic questions and combined three existing instruments to measure subordinate perceptions of leader EI, LMX, and organizational trust. The use of subordinate responses eliminated self-reporting bias and simplified data collection. After receiving approval from the various military agencies to conduct research on Active-Duty Army Soldiers, the survey was sent to over 1,500 Army officers stationed at Fort Leavenworth, KS in September 2023. The survey had a response rate of 18.8%, but only had a viable response rate of 11.5%, which still exceeded the minimum threshold to generalize the results with statistical significance. After the data collection was complete, the researcher conducted data analysis consisting of descriptive statistics for the demographic questions, instrument reliability tests, correlation tests, and regression testing. The results of the data analysis supported the research hypotheses, showing a positive and statistically significant correlation between the three variables, as well as showing that leader EI and LMX were significantly predictive of organizational trust. Additional findings indicated that women reported statistically significant lower levels of trust. The theoretical and practical implications were discussed, along with the study’s significance, limitations, and suggestions for future research.