The mediating role of social intelligence in the relationship between creative leadership and crisis management in Palestinian public sector institutions: The Palestinian Ministry of Finance as a model

Abstract

The study aimed to measure the mediating role of social intelligence in the relationship between creative leadership and crisis management in Palestinian public sector institutions: the Palestinian Ministry of Finance as a model. To achieve the study's objectives, the researcher used a descriptive correlational approach, given its suitability to the nature of the study. The study population consisted of (1297) employees of the Palestinian Ministry of Finance in 2025. The questionnaire was distributed electronically to a sample size of (334) employees using a simple random sampling method. Among the most important results reached by the study were: The level of implementation of creative leadership in the Palestinian Ministry of Finance achieved a high score of (70%), the level of social intelligence in the ministry achieved a high score of (68.4%), and the reality of implementing crisis management in the Palestinian Ministry of Finance achieved a high score of (71.8%). The study results also showed differences in the study sample's average responses attributed to general variables (gender, job title, academic qualification, administrative unit, and number of training courses in context) regarding creative leadership in the Palestinian Ministry of Finance. - The results showed differences in the study sample's average responses attributed to general variables (gender, job title, academic qualification, administrative unit, and number of training courses in context) regarding social intelligence in the Palestinian Ministry of Finance. The results also showed differences in the study sample's average responses attributed to general variables (gender, administrative unit) regarding crisis management in the Palestinian Ministry of Finance. The results also demonstrated a mediating role for social intelligence in the relationship between creative leadership and crisis management in the Palestinian Ministry of Finance. The coefficient of determination (R2) was (0.767), and the effect size (F2) was (0.384), indicating that 76.7% of the variance in the crisis management variable can be explained by the mediating role of social intelligence, whose effect coefficient was (0.384), a positive effect on the relationship between creative leadership and crisis management. Based on these findings, the study produced a set of recommendations that could assist decision-makers in the Palestinian Ministry of Finance. These include: - Strengthening early monitoring and effective feedback mechanisms by developing early warning systems within the ministry to identify organizational challenges and problems before they escalate. This should be done while activating internal communication channels among employees on a regular, ongoing basis. This helps leaders accurately understand the surrounding environment and respond promptly to crises. - Enhancing effective communication skills at all administrative levels by implementing regular training programs in corporate communication skills. - Strengthening proactive capabilities in the pre-crisis phase (preparedness and prevention) and working to periodically update and activate risk management and prevention plans, including multiple scenarios for potential crises.