Abstract
The impact of effective communication by the school management team has become a topic of interest in the literature because of its critical influence on both teachers and learners alike. The aim of this quantitative study was to investigate teacher perceptions of the competence of the school management team in their use of effective communication as an aspect of holistic leadership and its influence on their job satisfaction. To this end, a literature study was undertaken on relevant theories and the results of previous research on issues around holistic leadership and teacher job satisfaction. This was followed by an empirical study using effective communication and job satisfaction as constructs in the investigation. The research design was quantitative, and 703 respondents completed a structured questionnaire. Factor analytic procedures on the items relating to effective communication revealed that it consisted of one reliable factor with construct validity. The same analytic procedure on the items representing job satisfaction indicated that it was composed of two factors: aspects enhancing job satisfaction and items that impeded job satisfaction. A structural equation model revealed that the effective communication construct had a direct effect on aspects that enhance job satisfaction. The process model of mediation revealed that aspects impeding job satisfaction did not play a mediating role between the effective communication construct as a predicting variable and aspects enhancing job satisfaction as an outcome variable. However, aspects impeding job satisfaction acted as a moderating variable between predictor and outcome. The findings suggest that perceptions of the competence of the school management team to utilise effective communication directly influences aspects of and enhances job satisfaction. However, this effect is contingent on aspects impeding job satisfaction. The more effective the school management team was perceived to be the greater the perception of their competence to utilise effective communication to influence job satisfaction.
M.Ed. (Education)