Chapter One — 1.1 Background to the Study

In recent years, Emotional Intelligence of Managers has emerged as a critical factor shaping organizational growth across organizations operating in and around Selected West African Countries. As institutions grapple with the pressures of globalization, regulatory reform, and shifting stakeholder expectations, understanding how emotional intelligence of managers relates to organizational growth has become an important area of both scholarly and practical concern.

Selected West African Countries presents a useful setting for examining this relationship precisely because the conditions there — structural, regulatory, and behavioural — differ from those typically assumed in the broader literature, most of which draws on evidence from more developed economies.

1.2 Statement of the Problem

While emotional intelligence of managers is widely discussed in policy and industry circles, empirical evidence on its actual effect on organizational growth within Selected West African Countries remains sparse and, in places, contradictory. This lack of localized, rigorous evidence makes it difficult for decision-makers to know with confidence whether current approaches to emotional intelligence of managers are helping or hindering organizational growth — a gap this study sets out to close.

1.3 Objectives of the Study

1. To examine the effect of Emotional Intelligence of Managers on organizational growth in Selected West African Countries.
2. To assess the extent to which emotional intelligence of managers influences organizational growth within the study area.
3. To identify the challenges associated with emotional intelligence of managers in relation to organizational growth.
4. To recommend strategies for optimizing emotional intelligence of managers in order to improve organizational growth.

1.4 Research Questions

1. What is the effect of emotional intelligence of managers on organizational growth in Selected West African Countries?
2. To what extent does emotional intelligence of managers influence organizational growth within the study area?
3. What challenges are associated with emotional intelligence of managers in relation to organizational growth?
4. What strategies can be adopted to optimize emotional intelligence of managers in order to improve organizational growth?

1.5 Significance of the Study

This study is significant to a range of stakeholders. For policymakers and regulators, the findings offer evidence to guide the design of frameworks that support healthier outcomes around organizational growth. For managers and practitioners within Selected West African Countries, the study provides practical insight into how emotional intelligence of managers can be better managed. Finally, it contributes to the academic literature on business administration by extending existing knowledge into a specific empirical context, and offers a reference point for future researchers.

1.6 Scope of the Study

The study is limited to an examination of Emotional Intelligence of Managers and its relationship with organizational growth within the context of Selected West African Countries. It reflects a clearly defined scope of analysis and relies on data and perspectives available within that scope; generalizing the findings beyond this specific context should therefore be done with appropriate caution.