Bridging the GAP: Challenges in Measuring Emotional Intelligence and Transformational Leadership in Hybrid Workplaces

This study examines the challenges in assessing emotional intelligence (EI) and transformational leadership (TL) within hybrid work environment, two variables which are becoming increasingly common in contemporary enterprises. Hybrid environments, integrating conventional on-site work with remote arrangements, determine leaders to modify their approaches while concurrently complicating evaluation methods. Thus, the precise measurement of EI and TL is rendered difficult, significantly affected by adaptable work structures. Most previous studies focused solely on traditional on-site or totally virtual contexts. Thus, this theoretical paper seeks to review and compare the frameworks for measuring EI and TL in order to be adapted to hybrid work environments. The paper supports the trait viewpoint, operationalized via the Trait Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire (TEIQue), recognizing that trait-based assessments generally demonstrate more robust associations with leadership behaviors than ability-based models. The hybrid work perspective serves as the new and distinguishing element of the research, predicated on the premise that such a context influences both TL behaviors and the perception of EI within teams. In the end, measurement challenges and future research directions are presented.