Date

2-13-2026

Department

School of Behavioral Sciences

Degree

Doctor of Philosophy in Psychology (PhD)

Chair

Rachel Piferi

Keywords

emotional intelligence, decision-making, ethical leadership, phenomenological study, leadership psychology, self-awareness, emotional regulation, interpersonal awareness, rational choice theory, behavioral decision theory, biblical integration

Disciplines

Psychology

Abstract

This qualitative phenomenological study explores how leaders with high emotional intelligence (EI) experience and describe decision-making in personal, organizational, and leadership contexts. Guided by Rational Choice Theory (RCT), Behavioral Decision Theory (BDT), and Moon’s (2021) emotional intelligence framework, the study integrates psychological perspectives with biblical principles to examine how self-awareness, emotional regulation, and interpersonal awareness contribute to ethical and effective decision-making. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with ten to fifteen purposively selected participants identified as possessing high levels of emotional intelligence. The findings indicate that leaders with high EI view emotions as informational resources rather than obstacles and intentionally integrate emotional awareness into their decision-making processes. Participants demonstrated the use of emotional regulation to reduce impulsivity, self-awareness to identify and correct metacognitive biases, and interpersonal awareness to incorporate relational understanding into cooperative and ethically grounded decisions. Biblical principles drawn from Proverbs 16:32 and James 1:19 further supported the importance of self-control, patience, and deliberate response in ethical leadership decision-making. This study contributes to the literature by connecting psychological decision-making theories with biblical integration within a leadership context. Implications include applications for leadership development, organizational training, and faith-based communities. Although the findings are limited by purposive sampling and reliance on self-reported data, the study offers meaningful insight into the interaction of cognition, emotion, and spirituality in decision-making and provides directions for future empirical and cross-cultural research.

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