Transformational leadership and teacher work performance: Mediating effect of job autonomy and trust in school principal – insights from senior secondary school data in India

Abstract

Deriving from the social exchange theory, this study proposes a parallel mediation model where job autonomy and trust in school principal were underlying mechanisms through which transformational leadership affects teacher work performance. I propose that the leader provides job autonomy and builds trust among the teachers, that in turn influences teacher work performance. I tested the hypothesized model by using cross-sectional data (N = 755) based on four themes – transformational leadership, trust, job autonomy and work performance. The data was collected through an online survey from senior secondary school teachers in New Delhi, India. After establishing the reliability and validity of measures, the parallel mediation model was tested using AMOS 4.0. The result of regression analyses using the Bootstrap confidence interval method indicates significant results showing that trust in school principal and teacher job autonomy mediate the relationship between transformational leadership and teacher work performance. Limitations, implications and future research directions are discussed at the end.