Pseudotransformational leadership, leadership styles, and emotional intelligence: a comparative case study of Lon Nol and Pol Pot By TITLE PAGE Hok Roth A Dissertation Submitted to the Faculty of Mississippi State University in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Public Policy and Administration in the Department of Political Science and Public Administration Mississippi State, Mississippi December 2016 Copyright by COPYRIGHT PAGE Hok Roth 2016 Pseudotransformational leadership, leadership styles, and emotional intelligence: a comparative case study of Lon Nol and Pol Pot By APPROVAL PAGE Hok Roth Approved: ____________________________________ Gerald A. Emison (Director of Dissertation) ___________________________________ Dragan Stanisevski (Committee Member) ___________________________________ Brian D. Shoup (Committee Member) ___________________________________ P. Edward French (Committee Member / Graduate Coordinator) ___________________________________ Rick Travis Interim Dean College of Arts & Sciences Name: Hok Roth ABSTRACT Date of Degree: December 9, 2016 Institution: Mississippi State University Major Field: Public Policy and Administration Major Professor: Gerald A. Emison Title of Study: Pseudotransformational leadership, leadership styles, and emotional intelligence: a comparative case study of Lon Nol and Pol Pot Pages in Study: 408 Candidate for Degree of Doctor of Philosophy The purpose of this dissertation is to help explain how and why two revolutionary national leaders of Cambodia–Lon Nol and Pol Pot, particularly the latter–had spectacular failures and became pseudotransformational leaders. It aims to build a proposition or theory that revolutionary leaders in the public sector, particularly of undemocratic regimes, tend to become pseudotransformational leaders when a) they lack certain components of emotional intelligence (EI) and/or b) adopt certain leadership styles and use them inappropriately. The author used a mixed methods comparative case study with the quantitative method nested in the qualitative one. He collected empirical data from a quantitative questionnaire survey and qualitative individual interviews and other print and audio-visual data from various primary sources, including the Documentation Center of Cambodia (DC-Cam) and the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia (ECCC), as well as from secondary sources such as books and articles. The author administered the survey to a sample of over 400 Cambodian participants from different socio-economic and political backgrounds and sectors and conducted individual in-depth interviews with 38 participants selected from the sample. Overall, this study’s findings tend to support the proposed theory, albeit with some limitations. In the main, both Lon Nol and Pol Pot were coercive and authoritative leaders. Only Pol Pot was a pacesetting leader. Both leaders severely lacked emotional intelligence, especially the domain of self-awareness. This dissertation makes some contribution to the existing literature on leadership in general and bad leadership in particular and, more specifically, on the two leaders’ leadership qualities, in that it proposes a linkage between leadership ineffectiveness or failures and lack of emotional intelligence and improper use of leadership styles. The practical implications or lessons drawn from the dissertation include the following. First, a national leader’s distance or isolation from the masses can undermine her or his emotional intelligence and/or leadership effectiveness. Second, national/public interest should take precedence over the leader’s other interests and partisan politics. Third, a leadership team of friends or cronies is, more often than not, harmful to quality decision/policy making and administration because it tends to foster groupthink. DEDICATION This dissertation is dedicated to: My mother, Yung Sarim, who has showered me with unconditional love and support for all my endeavors, especially academic, in spite and because of her own lack of opportunity for formal education. The memory of my late father, Chea Phochin, my three late siblings (Chea Eng Hong, Chea Eng Se, Chea Bilé), my close and distant relatives–whom I never know and pictures of whom we lost during the Pol Pot regime–and all other people, Cambodian and foreign, who perished during the Lon Nol and Pol Pot regimes as well as those who have subsequently died as a consequence of the Cambodian civil war. To the memory of Chea San and Chea Thay Seng, my father’s first cousins, who were tortured and executed at Tuol Sleng Prison.The fact that sufficient justice has yet to be done for the victims of the Khmer Rouge regime helped inspire me to persist with this dissertation. The memory of Yung Mak and Yung Cheun, my only maternal big aunts whom I ever knew. The memory of the late Professor David Hall, my Master’s dissertation supervisor, who co-taught me English Language Teaching (ELT) Program Management. I credit this course, to a considerable extent, with my management/leadership positions so far and for my interest in the study and practice of management and leadership. ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I do not believe there is a true self-made person. I did not single-handedly bring this dissertation to fruition. I have received authorized assistance –some of which is directly related to this dissertation –from many institutions and individuals which/whom I wish to deeply thank but only a few of which/whom I can mention below. The Royal Government of Cambodia, especially the Ministry of Education, Youth, and Sports, for granting me a leave of absence for four years. The Fulbright program of the U.S. Government for its financial support for the first part of my PhD program. The Royal University of Phnom Penh (RUPP), and more specifically the Institue of Foreign Languages (IFL), for their strong support for my further education in a different field of study. Mississippi State University for its financial assistance for most of the second part of my PhD program. My dissertation committee chair, Dr. Gerald A. Emison and committee members, Dr. P. Edward French, Dr. Dragan Stanisevski, and Dr. Brian D. Shoup, for their valuable advice and guidance. Dr. Emison’s counsel and strong encourangement have been particulary helpful to my PhD program completion. All my other professors, including Professor K. C. Morrison, and staff at MSU for their valuable acadmic input and administrative assistance respectively. Over 400 survey respondents and interview participants, a vast majority of whom are anonymous, for their indispensible input for this dissertation. iii My mother and all other members of my extended family, especially my siblings, sisters-in-law–Roth Saroeun and his wife, Ly Kea Thavy; Chea Bisin; and Roth Seng and his wife, Kong Chenda–for providing for me before I could start to provide for myself, for their love, and for their unwavering support for my academic and professional endeavors, as well as my nephews and nieces. Sar Kosal, my best and longest-time friend, for his trust in my ability to learn and for his firm friendship and support. Grant Curtis, my closest foreign friend, for encouraging me to apply for the field of Public Policy and Administration and for providing me with various forms of support since the beginning of my PhD program. Mr. Youk Chhang, Director of the Documentation Center of Cambodia (DC-Cam), for facilitating my access to its archives, and a few of its staff members for making copies of the files for me. My research assistants –Rithy Cheatana, Taing Kech Hong, Im Chanboracheat, Kong Sotheara, and Sok Piseth –for their willingness and commitment to assist me with the research on this topic perceived to be sensitive in Cambodia by quite many people. Suos Man for seeing management and leadership potential in me and for frequently urging me to complete this dissertation sooner rather than later. My friends and/or colleagues, Dr. Bounchan Suksiri, Om Soryong, Koem Oeurn, and Dr. Kin Sovann, for their frequent encouragement and support. Dr. Oum Ravy for her encouragement. Drs. Frances Johnston, Edward Mwelwa, Gretchen Schmelzer, and Annie McKee of the Teleos Leadership Institute, USA, for their keen support, whose emotional intelligence-based leadership development program in Cambodia during 2003-2005 in which I was involved as an interpreter sparked my interest in emotional intelligence and further increased my interest in leadership. Dr. Stephen Cottrell and his wife, Kim Heng, for their hospitality and care, particularly while I was in Starkville, Mississippi. Dr. Vijay Kumarradkushnan and Dr. Sathishkumar Samiappan and his wife Bhanu for their friendship and care. iv TABLE OF CONTENTS DEDICATION .................................................................................................................... ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ............................................................................................... iii LIST OF TABLES ............................................................................................................. ix CHAPTER I. INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................1 Statement of the Problem and Significance of the Study ......................................2 II. LITERATURE REVIEW ...................................................................................11 Leadership in the mainstream sense ....................................................................11