Conceptualizing Social Intelligence Capabilities in Women Leadership: A Qualitative Study in the Queensland Healthcare Industry

Conceptualizing Social Intelligence Capabilities in Women Leadership: A Qualitative Study in the Queensland Healthcare Industry

The healthcare industry is dominated by women with approximately 75% share of the global workforce. In spite of that, less than 25% of these women hold senior leadership positions. Research has shown that women, more than men, can exhibit leadership characteristics such as openness, empathy and support, which would enable organisations to be best placed for the delivery of superior healthcare services now and into the future. Previous research has confirmed that social intelligence is a necessary part of leadership, and it is a contributing factor to an individual's success in their work performance; however, the connection to women, specifically executive women in the healthcare sector, has been unclear. This qualitative research investigates the ways in which executive women in the public healthcare industry in the state of Queensland can draw upon their social intelligence skills and knowledge to advance their leadership careers. Using the theoretical lenses of Goleman's social intelligence theory and the open systems theory of organisational leadership, twelve women in senior leadership positions in Queensland Health were recruited to discuss their lived experiences on this topic in order to answer the research question: What social intelligence capabilities promote leadership career advancement of executive women in a Healthcare context? The participants were specifically asked about what self-reported social awareness and facility capacities they possessed, how they use these capacities to engage and interact with individuals and the broader Healthcare system, and how social intelligence can be utilised in the leadership career advancement of women. The results of the research demonstrate that social intelligence enables executive women to build and execute four key capabilities namely, nurturing relationships, navigating complexity, building self-trust and enhancing reputation, and these capabilities subsequently enhance the leadership career advancement of executive women. This research deepens our knowledge on social intelligence as it relates to women leadership and presents insights into how social intelligence impacts on the career advancement of executive women in the Healthcare industry. Furthermore, as a key practical implication of this research, women who are seeking executive roles can maximise social awareness and social facility capacities to advance their leadership careers.

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