Professional identity and career aspirations as mediators between principals' authentic leadership and teachers' intentions and behaviors

Purpose The purpose of this study is to explore the mediating role of workplace attitudes: professional identity and career aspirations between perceptions of principals' authentic leadership and teacher behaviors: intent to leave, organizational citizenship behavior, counterproductive work behavior, lateness and intention to leave among teachers. Design/methodology/approach The sample was composed of 605 teachers, randomly selected, nested in 41 Israeli elementary, junior high and high schools. Data analysis was based on multi-level structural equations. Findings The findings indicated that the more the school was perceived by the teachers as having an authentic leader, the professional identity of the teachers was higher and was negatively associated with counterproductive work behavior toward colleagues in the school, while the teachers' career aspirations were higher and negatively associated with counterproductive work behavior toward the organization. Originality/value This study shows the importance of teachers' individual and collective perceptions and their impacts on teacher behaviors. The practical contribution may include encouraging principals to promote high standards of authentic leadership, to raise teachers' professional identity and their career aspirations and reduce teachers' counterproductive work behavior and intention to leave.