Schools’ Leadership and Employees’ Work-engagement: Evidences from Secondary Schools

Abstract

heads as perceived by secondary school teachers with teachers’ work engagement. Leadership styles of school heads had been explored using The Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire, The MLQ (FORM5X) in terms of transformational, transactional and avoidant leadership whereas teachers’ work engagement had been explored by administering UWES-17. The universe of the study were school teachers comprising sample of 272 using convenience sampling technique. Data had been collected from 30 schools, 19 from urban and 11 from rural places where number of respondents from each school did not exceed than 10. Results of descriptive statistics reveal that out of 30 heads being rated by teachers, approximately 10% were found as transformational, within transactional leaders, 87% utilize Contingent Reward Management, 80% use Management by Exception- Active and 34% leaders exploit Management by Exception- Passive whereas 55 % of them were avoidant leaders. Results of statistical correlations using PPMC declared that leadership is related to work engagement (r=.233) where transformational leadership positively relates (r= .280) and within transactional leadership, contingent reward management (r= .288) and management by exception-Active (r= .150) positively relates to teachers’ work engagement. However, management by exception-Passive (of transactional leadership) (r= -.126) and avoidant leadership (r= -.210) negatively relates to teachers’ work engagement. The study confirms that leadership styles are correlated to teachers’ work engagement indicating that transformational leadership as the most effective form of leadership and also the active side of transactional leadership which is characterized by rewarding the right work, being proactive in accounting for mistakes is linked to increasing work engaged behaviours in teachers. Whereas punitive culture, dealing with mistakes after happenings and avoidant leadership is seen to decrease work engaged behaviours in teachers. Work engagement being positive work behaviour and having lasting positive impact on employees’ general well being, must be promoted.