THE INFLUENCE OF TRANSFORMATIONAL LEADERSHIP ON JOB SATISFACTION: THE MEDIATING FUNCTION OF PSYCHOLOGICAL CAPITAL AMONG TEACHERS IN PRIVATE SCHOOLS OF KHYBER PAKHTUNKHWA, PAKISTAN

Abstract

This paper examines how transformational leadership affects job satisfaction and the role of psychological capital as a mediator among the teachers in the privately run schools in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), Pakistan. The research design was quantitative and cross-sectional, and the study included 483 teachers based on the standardized questionnaire. Transformational leadership was assessed by Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire (MLQ) which measures transformational leadership, psychological capital was assessed by Psychological Capital Questionnaire (PCQ) and job satisfaction was assessed by Spector which is the Job Satisfaction Survey (JSS). Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) was used to test both direct and indirect correlations between the variables. The results indicate that transformational leadership has a significant positive effect on job satisfaction and psychological capital. Psychological capital also shows a significant positive relationship with job satisfaction and partially mediates the relationship between transformational leadership and job satisfaction. The findings contribute to leadership and educational management literature by highlighting the importance of developing positive psychological resources among teachers to enhance satisfaction levels. Practical implications for school leadership and policy makers are discussed.