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VOL. 12, ISSUE 10 (2025)
The effect of Transactional Leadership style on leadership outcomes among head teachers
Authors
Gladys Matandiko, Farrelli Hambulo
Abstract
The achievement of educational institution goals depends on how
effective leadership is exercised in the institution. One leadership style
known for quick achievement of goals is transactional leadership also known as
managerial leadership. Characterised by structured roles, clear expectations,
and reward-based performance, it offers a pragmatic and results-oriented
alternative to leadership. Transactional leadership is operationalized in two
dimensions of Contingent rewards and management-by-exception- active (MBEA). This
study aimed to examine how transactional leadership style affects leadership
outcomes in Head teachers of secondary schools in Kabwe district, Zambia. Using
a quantitative approach and a cross-sectional design, data were collected from
eight (8) randomly selected headteachers and fifty-six (56) teachers. The
multifactor leadership questionnaire (MLQ-5X) short form was used as a research
instrument to collect perceptions on the Head teacher from among the teacher
respondents and self-perceptions of the Head teachers added on to the data. The
data were analysed with the help of IBM SPSS version 23. Descriptive and
Inferential statistics were used to answer the research objectives. The study
found that the use of transactional leadership style was moderate among the
headteachers, but the practice of the dimension of management by
exception-active (MBEA) was found to be prevalently high. The study also found
that transactional leadership style, when practised through MBEA, has a highly
positive and significant effect on the leadership outcome of effectiveness.
However, the effect on the other leadership outcomes of extra effort and
satisfaction was not significant. The study concluded that transactional
leadership, although effective as a leadership style, in the educational sector,
cannot be used in isolation, it needs to go alongside other leadership styles
like transformational leadership, so that it takes care of long-term effects.
The study recommends the use of transactional leadership for short-term
assignments but in the education, sector be combined with transformational
leadership style that inspires and motivates teachers and learners to achieve
long term effects. The study also recommends future research on transactional
leadership as it has been overshadowed by the studies undertaken on
transformational leadership.
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Pages:55-60
How to cite this article:
Gladys Matandiko, Farrelli Hambulo "The effect of Transactional Leadership style on leadership outcomes among head teachers". International Journal of Multidisciplinary Research and Development, Vol 12, Issue 10, 2025, Pages 55-60
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