Vol. 14 No. 1 (2026): Business & Management Studies: An International Journal
Articles

An analysis of the mediating role of emotional intelligence and motivation on the impact of responsible leadership on employee performance in the insurance sector

Bilge Bora
İstanbul Medipol University, Institute of Social Sciences, Istanbul, Turkey
Mehmet Saim Aşcı
Assoc. Prof., İstanbul Medipol University, Institute of Social Sciences, İstanbul, Turkey
Elif Baykal
Prof. Dr, İstanbul Medipol University, Institute of Social Sciences, İstanbul, Turkey

Published 2026-03-25

Keywords

  • Responsible Leadership, Employee Performance, Emotional Intelligence, Motivation, Job Stress, Mixed-Methods, Quantitative Analysis, Qualitative Analysis
  • Sorumlu Liderlik, Çalışan Performansı, Duygusal Zekâ, Motivasyon, İş Stresi, Karma Yöntem, Nicel Analiz, Nitel Analiz

How to Cite

An analysis of the mediating role of emotional intelligence and motivation on the impact of responsible leadership on employee performance in the insurance sector. (2026). Business & Management Studies: An International Journal, 14(1), 431-451. https://doi.org/10.15295/bmij.v14i1.2719

How to Cite

An analysis of the mediating role of emotional intelligence and motivation on the impact of responsible leadership on employee performance in the insurance sector. (2026). Business & Management Studies: An International Journal, 14(1), 431-451. https://doi.org/10.15295/bmij.v14i1.2719

Abstract

This study investigates the relationships between employees' perceptions of responsible leadership, emotional intelligence, motivation, job stress and job performance within the Turkish insurance sector. A "sequential explanatory mixed-methods design" was employed, integrating both quantitative and qualitative approaches. In the quantitative phase, data were collected via surveys from 299 participants, exceeding the minimum sample size required by G*Power. The qualitative phase involved semi-structured interviews with 10 participants to deepen understanding of the quantitative findings. Quantitative results revealed that responsible leadership has significant positive effects on employee performance and emotional intelligence, with emotional intelligence partially mediating these effects. Conversely, the mediating role of motivation was not statistically significant. Qualitative findings supported these results, emphasising that fair and transparent leadership enhances organisational commitment and trust. The study underscores the vital importance of ethical and emotionally aware leadership for fostering sustainable performance in organisational settings.

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