The relationship between transformational leadership, perceived leader effectiveness and teachers' job satisfaction

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to investigate the link between transformational/transactional/passive-avoidant leadership behaviors, teachers' perceptions of leader effectiveness and teachers' job satisfaction. In this context, the paper also examines the conceptual model underlying the scales of the most widely used instrument in research on transformational leadership, the Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire (MLQ). The theoretical framework for this investigation is that of the full range model of leadership. Design/methodology/approach - An adapted version of the MLQ was administered to a sample of 438 secondary school teachers in the Republic of Cyprus. Confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling were used in the analysis of the data. Findings - The results provide support for a three-factor structure model consisting of transformational, transactional and passive-avoidant forms of leadership, representing three distinct components of leadership behavior. Teachers' perceptions of leader effectiveness and teachers' overall job satisfaction were found to be significantly linked to the leadership behaviors included in the full range model of leadership. Research limitations/implications - The findings are cross-sectional and based on the subjective perceptions of teachers. The analysis of the data suggests that transformational leadership may not be a sufficient condition for (perceived) headteacher effectiveness. Originality/value - The link between transformational leadership, perceived leader effectiveness and teachers' overall job satisfaction has not been investigated in many studies. The present study attempts to address this gap.