The Predictive Power of Emotional Intelligence on Conflict Management Strategies of School Principals from the Perspective of Teachers

Emotional intelligence refers to individuals being aware of their own emotions and the emotions of other people with whom they interact. It is thought that emotional intelligence, which enables individuals to be successful in their work and social lives and to establish healthy relationships, will play an important role in effectively resolving conflicts. In this context, the aim of this study was to examine the predictive power of school administrators’ emotional intelligence skills on conflict management strategies. For this purpose, the correlational model, one of the quantitative research methods, was used in the study. The data was collected from 299 teachers working in private and public schools selected through convenience and maximum variation sampling with the Evaluation Scale of the Administrators’ Emotional Intelligence Skills and Rahim Organizational Conflict Inventory (ROC II). The findings revealed that there was a significant and positive relationship between emotional intelligence skills and conflict management strategies. Personal abilities and communication skills, adaptability and motivation, and management of emotions of emotional intelligence's sub-dimensions have a positive and significant relationship with integration, obliging, avoidance and compromise of conflict management strategies, while the domination strategy has a negative significant relationship. It is also indicated that emotional intelligence had significant predictive value for conflict management strategies.