This dissertation examines how emotional intelligence (EI) can be operationalised within the Netherlands Royal Military Academy (NRMA) to strengthen the formation of emotionally attuned military leaders. Contemporary hybrid operations require officers who combine analytical reasoning with moral sensitivity and adaptive self-regulation, qualities central to the NRMA’s four-strand DNA of military, academic, leadership, and personal development.
Although elements of these principles are addressed and embedded in policy and practice, the NRMA lacks an empirically validated mechanism for assessing and cultivating EI.
A three-phase sequential exploratory mixed-methods design addresses this gap.
Phase 1 conducted a comparative analysis of four EI models – the MSCEIT (ability-based), TEIQue (Trait-based), Goleman’s ESCI (competency-based), and Lansley’s EmotionIntell (ability-centred), against four explicit criteria: theoretical foundation, measurement tool, psychometric properties, and relevance to military leadership. The EmotionIntell model, operationalised via the e-Factor measurement tool, emerged as the provisional best fit for the NRMA context.
Phase 2 explored instructors’ perspectives (N = 6) through semi-structured interviews and thematic analysis, indicating recurrent challenges in cadets’ self-awareness, stress regulation, and social understanding, aligned with the EmotionIntell quadrants.
Phase 3 piloted the e-Factor with cadets (N = 8) and compared outcomes with the NRMA’s military leadership performance ratings. A small positive association (r = .30) was observed; however, statistical power was insufficient for inference, and the findings remain exploratory.
Taken together, the results support the e-Factors’ conceptual alignment, ecological relevance, and formative utility for mentoring, reflection, and setting goals within the NRMA training cycle.
However, psychometric evidence remains preliminary, confirmatory factor analysis, test-retest reliability, and measurement invariance across subgroups will need to be established before any summative or selection use would be optional.
The dissertation contributes to a theoretically integrated and context-sensitive pathway for the cultivation of emotionally intelligent military leadership in high-stakes military academies, translating institutional ethos into measurable developmental practice.
Keywords: Emotional Intelligence; MSCEIT, TEIQue, ESCI, EmotionIntell; e-Factor; officer education; military leadership; NRMA.