The relationship betwen spiritual intelligence and decision-making styles: An application on managers

In the past and present, it was put forth with many research that people had used different strategies for effective use of intelligence. Till the beginning of 2000s, it was mentioned in many of rapidly developed research about intelligence that, managers use many different methods in decision making and different intelligence types are effective in this process. In their daily life, most people do not use full aspect of their intelligence and they get used to only apply their cognitive and mental intelligence. In many studies it was founded that positive data and results are obtained when three intelligence types, emotional intelligence (EQ), cognitive intelligence (IQ) and spiritual intelligence (SQ) are used together. In this study, in other to further understand the spiritual intelligence, the relation between Decision Making Styles of managers and their Spiritual Intelligence is examined. Research population was determined as 452 founder managers of companies that operate in defense, aerospace, metal and medicine industries which are located in Ostim Organized Industrial Zone in Ankara; and 232 managers compose the research sample. According to the obtained results of research, there is no significant difference in the level of spiritual intelligence according to gender and education of managers, however, it was found that the spiritual intelligences of the managers were significantly different according to their ages and working times. When the relation vii between spiritual intelligence and decision making styles were examined, it was founded that there exists a positive relation between spiritual intelligence and four of the decision making styles that are rational, intuitive, dependent, spontaneous; except avoidant decision making style. When the effect of dimensions of spiritual intelligence on decision making styles are evaluated, it was founded that self-identity and purpose and values dimensions of spiritual intelligence has a positive effect on rational decision making style; and the acceptance dimension of spiritual intelligence has a positive effect on all other decision making styles except on rational decision making style. Keywords: Spiritual Intelligence, Decision-Making Styles, Top Managers