Effect of Principals' Self-Awareness as Authentic Leaders on Innovative Work Behaviour of Teachers at Higher Secondary School Level

Authors

Abstract

Abstract Views: 54

This study examined the effect of principals’ self-awareness as a core dimension of authentic leadership on teachers’ innovative work behaviour at the higher secondary school level in Islamabad. Self-awareness enables leaders to understand their values, strengths, weaknesses, and emotional impact on others, thereby fostering trust and psychological safety within schools. Innovative work behaviour refers to the generation, promotion, and implementation of new instructional ideas that enhance teaching effectiveness. A quantitative survey research design was employed. The population comprised principals and teachers from public higher secondary schools in Islamabad. Using stratified random sampling, data were collected from principals and teachers through validated questionnaires. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics and regression analysis in SPSS. The findings revealed a significant positive effect of principals’ self-awareness on teachers’ innovative work behaviour. The results suggest that self-aware principals create supportive environments that encourage creativity, professional engagement, and instructional innovation. The study highlights the importance of leadership development programs focusing on self-awareness to enhance innovation in secondary education institutions.

Keywords:

Authentic Leadership, Higher Secondary Schools, Innovative Work Behaviour, Self-Awareness

References

Almessabi, A., & Alhosani, M. (2024). How principals influence teachers’ innovative work behavior: a qualitative study. International Journal of Educational Reform, 10567879241238363. https://doi.org/10.1177/10567879241238363

Asim, T., Turi, J. A., Shahab, H., & Rubab, A. (2023). Impact of authentic leadership on teachers’ performance. MOJEM: Malaysian Online Journal of Educational Management, 11(1), 36-54.

Baharuddin, M. F., Masrek, M. N., & Shuhidan, S. M. (2019). Innovative work behaviour of school teachers: a conceptual framework. IJAEDU-International E-Journal of Advances in Education, 5(14), 213-221.

Bai, Y., Wang, Z., Alam, M., Gul, F., & Wang, Y. (2022). The impact of authentic leadership on innovative work behavior: Mediating roles of proactive personality and employee engagement. Frontiers in Psychology, 13, 879176. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.879176

Černe, M., Jaklič, M., & Škerlavaj, M. (2013). Authentic leadership, creativity, and innovation: A multilevel perspective. Leadership, 9(1), 63-85. https://doi.org/10.1177/1742715012455130

De Jong, J., & Den Hartog, D. (2010). Measuring innovative work behaviour. Creativity and Innovation Management, 19(1), 23-36. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-8691.2010.00547.x

Gardner, W. L., & McCauley, K. D. (2022). The gaslighting of authentic leadership. Leadership, 18(6), 801-813. https://doi.org/10.1177/17427150221111056

Indrayanti, I., & Ulfia, N. (2022). Authentic leadership and innovative work behavior through organizational culture: A study in Indonesian state-owned enterprises. F1000Research, 11, 1243. https://doi.org/10.12688/f1000research.126559.1

Johari, A., Abdul Wahat, N. W., & Zaremohzzabieh, Z. (2021). Innovative work behavior among teachers in Malaysia: The effects of teamwork, principal support, and humor. Asian Journal of University Education (AJUE), 7(2), 72-84. https://ir.uitm.edu.my/id/eprint/53718

Khan, S., Muhammad, B., Afridi, G. W., & Sarwar, I. (2017). Effect of authentic leadership on job satisfaction and employee engagement. City University Research Journal, 7(1), 151-166.

Laguna, M., Walachowska, K., Gorgievski-Duijvesteijn, M. J., & Moriano, J. A. (2019). Authentic leadership and employees’ innovative behaviour: a multilevel investigation in three countries. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 16(21), 4201. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph16214201

Li, C., Makhdoom, H. U. R., & Asim, S. (2020). Impact of entrepreneurial leadership on innovative work behavior: Examining mediation and moderation mechanisms. Psychology Research and Behavior Management, 105-118. https://doi.org/10.2147/PRBM.S236876

Li, H., Sajjad, N., Wang, Q., Muhammad Ali, A., Khaqan, Z., & Amina, S. (2019). Influence of transformational leadership on employees’ innovative work behavior in sustainable organizations: Test of mediation and moderation processes. Sustainability, 11(6), 1594. https://doi.org/10.3390/su11061594

Liu, X., Huang, Y., Kim, J., & Na, S. (2023). How ethical leadership cultivates innovative work behaviors in employees? Psychological safety, work engagement and openness to experience. Sustainability, 15(4), 3452. https://doi.org/10.3390/su15043452

Lu, C., Xu, Z., & Tian, Q. (2025). Teachers’ well-being and innovative work behavior: a moderated mediation model of perceived insider status and principal authentic leadership. Behavioral Sciences, 15(10), 1419. https://doi.org/10.3390/bs15101419

Miao, C., Humphrey, R. H., & Qian, S. (2018). Emotional intelligence and authentic leadership: A meta-analysis. Leadership & Organization Development Journal, 39(5), 679-690. https://doi.org/10.1108/LODJ-02-2018-0066

Nair, B. P., Prasad, T., & Nair, S. K. (2022). Authentic leadership and team members’ outcomes: A cross-level and multi-level analysis. Management and Labour Studies, 47(2), 165-182. https://doi.org/10.1177/0258042X211034614

Nguyen, B., Leroy, H., Cullen-Lester, K., & Gill, C. (2026). How Leaders’ Experienced Authenticity Influences Team Performance: A Behavioral Integrity Lens. Journal of Leadership & Organizational Studies, 15480518251412068. https://doi.org/10.1177/15480518251412068

Niazi, Z. Z., & Arshad, F. (2022). Authentic Leadership and Innovative Work Behavior. Mediating Role of Creative Self-Efficacy and Buffering Effect of Mastery Goal Orientation. RADS Journal of Business Management, 4(1), 13-29. https://doi.org/10.37962/jbm.v4i1.93

Niu, W., Yuan, Q., Qian, S., & Liu, Z. (2018). Authentic leadership and employee job behaviors: The mediating role of relational and organizational identification and the moderating role of LMX. Current Psychology, 37(4), 982-994. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-018-9937-0

Saeed, S., & Ali, R. (2019). Relationship between authentic leadership and classroom management in public and private sector universities. Journal of Education and Educational Development, 6(1), 171-187.

Shao, Y., Jiang, W., Wang, N., Zhang, C., & Zhang, L. (2025). The impact of authentic leadership on the work engagement of primary and secondary school teachers: The serial mediation role of school climate and teacher efficacy. Plos one, 20(5), e0320839. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0320839

Sharif, H. S., Bin Mydin, A. A., & Younis, H. A. (2023, December). Influence of authentic leadership practices on innovative work behaviour in higher educational institutions: A virtual reality perspective. In International Multi-Disciplinary Conference-Integrated Sciences and Technologies (pp. 175-187). Cham: Springer Nature Switzerland. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-51300-8_12

Siangchokyoo, N., Klinger, R. L., & Campion, E. D. (2020). Follower transformation as the linchpin of transformational leadership theory: A systematic review and future research agenda. The Leadership Quarterly, 31(1), 101341. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.leaqua.2019.101341

Ullah, S., Shah, S. T. H., Tufail, M., Babatunde, S., & Shah, S. M. A. (2025). Authentic leadership as predictor of innovative work behavior: the mediating role of social informal learning behaviors. Journal of the Knowledge Economy, 1-26. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13132-025-02715-8

Walumbwa, F. O., Avolio, B. J., Gardner, W. L., Wernsing, T. S., & Peterson, S. J. (2008). Authentic leadership: Development and validation of a theory-based measure. Journal of management, 34(1), 89-126. https://doi.org/10.1177/0149206307308913

Xie, J., Wen, Z., Ma, Y., Cai, B., & Liu, X. (2024). Associations among challenge stress, hindrance stress, and employees' innovative work behavior: Mediation effects of thriving at work and emotional exhaustion. The Journal of Creative Behavior, 58(1), 66-81. https://doi.org/10.1002/jocb.624

Zargar, P., & Farmanesh, P. (2026). Leadership Communication Defines Hotel Employees’ Well-Being; Assessment of Socioeconomic Status and Trust in Leader. Administrative Sciences, 16(2), 91. https://doi.org/10.3390/admsci16020091

Zhou, Y., & Yusof, R. B. (2024). Authentic leadership and innovative work behavior: The mediating role of career calling. Global Business and Management Research, 16(4s), 1115-1127.

Published

2026-03-31

How to Cite

Saleem, S., & Tabassum, F. (2026). Effect of Principals’ Self-Awareness as Authentic Leaders on Innovative Work Behaviour of Teachers at Higher Secondary School Level. Bulletin of Multidisciplinary Studies, 3(1). Retrieved from https://journals.irapa.org/index.php/BMS/article/view/1235