Title: Evaluation of values, intelligence, and competencies for 'global leaders'

Authors: Chiara Cannavale; Giorgia Rivieccio; Iman Zohoorian Nadali

Addresses: DISAQ, University of Naples Parthenope, Naples, Italy ' DISAQ, University of Naples Parthenope, Naples, Italy ' DISAQ, University of Naples Parthenope, Naples, Italy

Abstract: This paper explores the under-studied effects of emotional and spiritual intelligence on competencies of the 21st century global leaders and sheds light on how to further study such phenomena. This paper addresses an important gap in the literature of global leadership by considering values in the interactions among intelligences and competencies of global leaders. The theoretical bases of our exploratory paper rely on the basic values, expatriate acculturation, and the international adjustment model. Our sample observations of 46 global leaders inspire the development of some hypotheses for further studies. Analysis of the sample data suggested a mediating role of emotional intelligence in the indirect relationship between spiritual intelligence and competencies of global leaders. In contrast to conventional understandings, it was also revealed that 'openness to change' negatively moderates such mediated relationship. Through a sample observation, we found out a mixture of conventional and surprising results suggesting some hypotheses to be tested in further studies.

Keywords: basic values; emotional intelligence; spiritual intelligence; global competencies; global leadership.

DOI: 10.1504/EJIM.2026.152252

European Journal of International Management, 2026 Vol.28 No.4, pp.717 - 741

Received: 07 Jul 2020
Accepted: 23 Nov 2020
Published online: 13 Mar 2026 *

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