The Role of Soft Leadership in Enhancing Market Share: An Exploratory Study of the sample of Employees’ Opinions at Al-Rafidain Bank
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Abstract
Purpose: This study aims to examine the role of soft leadership in enhancing market share at Al-Rafidain Bank by investigating the nature of the correlation and direct effect between the two variables, based on the dimensions of soft leadership vision, communication, and emotional intelligence and the dimensions of market share relative market share, market share growth, customer share, and sales share.
Design/methodology/approach: The study adopted a descriptive-analytical research design and employed a questionnaire as the primary data collection instrument. Data were collected from a sample of 201 employees working at Al-Rafidain Bank. The data were analyzed using SPSS and AMOS, employing descriptive statistics, Pearson’s correlation coefficient, Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA), and Structural Equation Modeling (SEM).
Findings: The findings revealed a high level of soft leadership practices, with a mean of 4.17 and a relative importance of 83.4%. The level of market share was also relatively high, with a mean of 3.98 and a relative importance of 79.6%. Emotional intelligence ranked first among the dimensions of soft leadership. The findings further demonstrated a strong, positive, and statistically significant correlation between soft leadership and market share, with a correlation coefficient of (r = 0.768, p < 0.001). The results of Structural Equation Modeling also confirmed a positive and statistically significant direct effect of soft leadership on market share, with a standardized path coefficient of (β = 0.781) and a critical ratio of (C.R. = 10.247, p < 0.001).
Originality/value: The study provides empirical evidence of the importance of soft leadership in supporting market share within the Iraqi banking context. It highlights the significance of leveraging vision, communication, and emotional intelligence as leadership practices that support the bank’s competitive position, while integrating these practices with banking service development and strategies for customer acquisition and retention.
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