A study of the relationship between leadership styles and cultural intelligence among school leaders

The specific problem was leaders often lack leadership skills and styles compatible with cultural intelligence, resulting in less effective performance within culturally diverse education settings. The quantitative correlational study involved a survey of the education managers and teachers in the public schools in western Canada. The purpose of the study was to examine and measure the leadership styles and cultural intelligence of education managers and teachers in public schools in western Canada. The research questions in the current study were used to determine whether a significant relationship existed between the four leadership styles transformational, transactional, contingentreward, and laissez-faire, and the cultural intelligence of education managers and teachers. Simple linear regression analyses were conducted; the analyses showed sufficient evidence existed to reject the null hypotheses for the four research questions. Both transformational and transactional leadership styles had p-levels < 0.05 for all the cultural intelligence variables included, indicating a significant relationship. Contingentreward leadership had p-levels of < 0.05 for all cultural intelligence variables included except behavioral CQ. Laissez-faire leadership had p-levels of < 0.05 for all the cultural intelligence variables included except cognitive CQ. The results of the simple linear regression analyses conducted were consistent with the results of the Pearson correlation analysis conducted.