Background
Leaders’ sense of meaning at work was theorized to be a key motivator for leaders and employees alike, as it illuminates the potential contribution of the organization (and its employees) to others or to the world. In this study, we focus on educators, for whom its hypothesized effects may be especially relevant because the sense of meaning and contribution to others are core components of their job.
Hypotheses
We hypothesized that school principals’ sense of meaning at work will be associated with their work engagement and positive emotions, as well as with the sense of meaning at work of the teachers working under their leadership, and with the resultant work engagement, positive emotions, and functioning of these teachers.
Sample Characteristics and Size
We surveyed 132 principals from elementary (n = 66), middle (n = 27) and high schools (n = 39) in Israel, and 679 teachers working in their schools.
Design
Principals and teachers completed self-report measures of their sense of meaning at work, work engagement and emotions. Teachers also completed measures of their relationships with students and work performance, as proxies of functioning.
Results
Regression analyses showed that principals’ sense of meaning at work was associated with their own engagement and positive emotions, even when controlling for gender, seniority and school type. Hierarchical Lineal Modeling (HLM) showed that it was also associated with the sense of meaning of teachers in their schools, and with these teachers’ engagement, positive emotions, quality of relationships with students and performance.
Scientific Contribution
The results supported the hypotheses, and point to principal’ sense of meaning as a potential motivator not only for the principals – but also for the teachers they lead. They highlight principals’ sense of meaning as a resource worth nurturing and emphasize the importance of studying its effects in organizations.