Emotional Intelligence and Educational Conflict in Romanian Schools: A Phenomenological Approach to Socio-Emotional Health and Organizational Culture

Abstract

School conflict is often treated as a disciplinary deviation, managed through sanctions and regulations. Our article proposes a phenomenological and emotionally intelligent perspective, viewing conflict as a lived experience that impacts socio-emotional health and institutional culture. Using school-based vignettes from Romanian education, the study explores how emotional expression reflects underlying needs and how mediated dialogue can transform tensions into opportunities for organizational learning. Our findings support a four-step procedural model for educational leadership: experience description, emotion-to-need translation, values-based negotiation, and institutionalization of new practices.