The Role of Social Intelligence in Shaping Change Readiness Among Employees in an Educational Institution

Rowena Imelda Agagas Ramos

Authors

Rowena Imelda Agagas Ramos AUP

Keywords:

social intelligence, change readiness, organizational adaptability

Abstract

This correlational study investigates the role of social intelligence on employees’ readiness for organizational change by utilizing the Tromsø Social Intelligence Scale and a change readiness scale. The research evaluates how dimensions of social intelligence—social information processing, social skills, and social awareness—relate to change readiness traits including optimism, adventurousness, passion and drive, confidence, and tolerance for ambiguity. Analysis of 150 employees from a private higher education institution in the Philippines revealed that social skills (r =.587) were the strongest correlate of change readiness. Social awareness (r =.414) and information processing (r =.367) also exhibit significant associations. The results of the stepwise regression confirmed that social skills (β =.424) were the most significant predictors of change readiness, explaining 40.8% of the variance. These findings reveal the importance of social intelligence in facilitating employees’ adaptability and engagement during organizational transitions. Thus, the results suggest that organizations invest in training programs to enhance social skills and awareness to improve change management effectiveness. Future research is recommended to use a more diverse sample and utilize additional data collection methods to generalize findings across different contexts.

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