Leading for Peace: Transformational Leadership and Human Security in Financial Institutions
Institutional Affiliation
Equity Bank Bahamas Limited
Start Date
January 2026
End Date
January 2026
Proposal Type
Presentation
Proposal Format
Virtual
Proposal Description
In today’s rapidly evolving financial landscape, organizational conflict presents significant challenges, especially when senior leadership struggles to implement resolution strategies that support institutional cohesion and well-being. This study explores how transformational leadership can strengthen interpersonal trust, cultural understanding, and adaptive responses to change elements that are central to human security within workplace communities. While many studies examine leadership competencies in conflict resolution, there is limited research on how transformational leaders in the banking sector navigate interpersonal conflict, manage organizational culture, and address change, particularly in small-island developing states such as the Bahamas. To address this gap, the researcher employed the Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) to examine the lived experiences of ten individuals occupying leadership roles in financial institutions. These participants completed an online survey and voluntarily contributed to the research, offering in-depth perspectives on conflict and change within their organizations. The study highlights five key themes demonstrating how transformational leaders handle conflict, maintain cultural integrity, and lead organizational change with empathy, strategic thinking, and resilience. The findings offer important contributions to the broader discussion of peace and conflict studies by reframing the organizational environment as a micro-community, where ethical leadership and trust-building practices play a significant role in promoting positive peace. This peace is not merely the absence of conflict but is reflected in the presence of just, collaborative, and nonviolent relationships. In contexts where financial institutions are central to national development and economic stability, leadership that supports inclusive and culturally aware conflict resolution enhances both local and global forms of human security. As financial institutions strive to remain competitive and relevant in changing economies, transformational leadership emerges as a key tool for building resilient professional environments that foster peace, dignity, and human flourishing. This study contributes both practical and theoretical insights into the field of conflict resolution and leadership.
Leading for Peace: Transformational Leadership and Human Security in Financial Institutions
In today’s rapidly evolving financial landscape, organizational conflict presents significant challenges, especially when senior leadership struggles to implement resolution strategies that support institutional cohesion and well-being. This study explores how transformational leadership can strengthen interpersonal trust, cultural understanding, and adaptive responses to change elements that are central to human security within workplace communities. While many studies examine leadership competencies in conflict resolution, there is limited research on how transformational leaders in the banking sector navigate interpersonal conflict, manage organizational culture, and address change, particularly in small-island developing states such as the Bahamas. To address this gap, the researcher employed the Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) to examine the lived experiences of ten individuals occupying leadership roles in financial institutions. These participants completed an online survey and voluntarily contributed to the research, offering in-depth perspectives on conflict and change within their organizations. The study highlights five key themes demonstrating how transformational leaders handle conflict, maintain cultural integrity, and lead organizational change with empathy, strategic thinking, and resilience. The findings offer important contributions to the broader discussion of peace and conflict studies by reframing the organizational environment as a micro-community, where ethical leadership and trust-building practices play a significant role in promoting positive peace. This peace is not merely the absence of conflict but is reflected in the presence of just, collaborative, and nonviolent relationships. In contexts where financial institutions are central to national development and economic stability, leadership that supports inclusive and culturally aware conflict resolution enhances both local and global forms of human security. As financial institutions strive to remain competitive and relevant in changing economies, transformational leadership emerges as a key tool for building resilient professional environments that foster peace, dignity, and human flourishing. This study contributes both practical and theoretical insights into the field of conflict resolution and leadership.