The prevalence and effect of destructive leadership behavior on teachers’ organizational commitment in the post-COVID-19 period: a case study of secondary schools in Amhara Regional State

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a momentous impact on leadership behavior, teachers’ OC, students’ academic engagement, and quality education in secondary schools; its legacy continues in the post-COVID world. This study aims to investigate the prevalence and effect of principals’ DLB on teachers’ OC in secondary schools within Amhara National Regional State, Ethiopia, in the post-COVID-19 era. An explanatory sequential design was employed. The sample comprised 1257 secondary school teachers and 10 interviewees, selected through multistage stratified and purposive sampling techniques, respectively. Data was collected using questionnaires and semi-structured interviews. Quantitative data analysis involved one-sample t-tests, Pearson correlation, and multiple regressions, while qualitative data was analyzed using a narrative approach. The findings indicated a notable prevalence of DLB among principals in Amhara region secondary schools, with laissez-faire leadership being the most common type. The overall OC level of secondary school teachers was found to be low, but they demonstrated moderate affective commitment, indicating an attachment to their respective schools. It also divulged that the prevalence of principals’ DLB and the decline of teachers’ OC were heightened in the post pandemic environment. The study revealed a significant negative relationship between principals’ DLB and teachers’ OC. Furthermore, DLB significantly predicted teachers’ OC and emerged as a significant predictor overall, explaining 44.4% of the variance in teachers’ OC. Among the different constructs of DLB, laissez-faire leadership behavior was the strongest predictor of teachers’ OC. Follow-up, monitoring, building constructive leadership, and elevating the OC of teachers are the major suggestions.