Teacher perceptions of the competence of the school management team to utilise empowering followers as an aspect of holistic leadership and its influence on their job satisfaction

Abstract: Using a snowball-stratified convenient sample of 703 educators in the provinces of Gauteng, Mpumalanga, Kwa-Zulu Natal, and the Eastern Cape this study examined teacher perceptions of the competence of the school management team (SMT) in utilising empowerment of followers and its influence on job satisfaction. The items in the empowerment of followers’ construct clustered into one valid and reliable factor while items in the job satisfaction construct formed two factors. Analysis of the data collected revealed that educators were undecided in their perceptions about the competence of the SMT to utilise the empowerment of followers to influence job satisfaction. Aspects enhancing job satisfaction correlated positively with the empowerment of followers, while aspects impeding job satisfaction correlated negatively with the empowerment of followers. The process model of mediation and moderation revealed that aspects impeding job satisfaction acted as a moderating variable between perceptions of the competence of the SMT to utilise aspects enhancing job satisfaction. The results of the study indicate that perceptions of the competence of the SMT directly influences aspects enhancing job satisfaction, but that this effect is contingent on aspects impeding job satisfaction as it acts as a moderating variable. Hence, effective management of job satisfaction should aim at increasing aspects that enhance job satisfaction whilst keeping aspects impeding job satisfaction to a minimum.M.Ed. (Education