The Added Value of Improvisation to Effectiveness-Oriented Transformational Leadership

Abstract

Purpose: The power of improvisation to promote organizational behavior and outcomes has gained recognition in the last couple of decades. The point of departure for the current study is that improvisation is likely to mediate leaders’ impact on school effectiveness. Methodology: The study is based on the responses of 60 school principals and 696 teachers. Findings: The multilevel analysis provides evidence of the mediation effect apparent in the indirect effects of transformational leadership through principals’ improvisation discernible in their creativity in the two school effectiveness factors: perceived productivity and perceived adaptability. Implications: Our findings suggest that creativity may be considered an efficient coping mechanism for school leaders coping with variance and heterogeneity.