The influence of leadership styles and human resource management on educators' well-being in the light of three Sustainable Development Goals

Abstract

PurposeThis paper analyzes the influence of leadership styles and human resource management (HRM) on teacher well-being and how these contribute to Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 3: Good Health and Well-being, 4: Quality Education, and 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth. The analysis assesses the extent to which the well-being of schoolteachers is influenced by the human resource management and leadership style of the school management.Design/methodology/approachThe aim of this study is to determine how leadership by example, high communication leadership, human resource management and gender, influence two dimensions of teacher well-being, namely emotional and physical well-being. Gender was used as a moderating variable. The relationships between these variables are reflected in the hypotheses of this study. Linear regression analysis was used to test these hypotheses. The measurement scales were drawn from the literature. Data were obtained using non-probabilistic convenience sampling of 300 public and subsidized (concertado) high schools. To include large and medium-sized Spanish cities in the study, Madrid, Valencia, Malaga, and Murcia were selected. The final sample consisted of 315 high school teachers from 75 schools.FindingsThe results suggest that leadership by example and high communication leadership influence human resource management directly and positively. Human resource management, in turn, influences the physical and psychological well-being of schoolteachers.Originality/valueThis paper adds to the literature on leadership styles and human resource management by expanding the knowledge of factors influencing schoolteachers' well-being. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first article reporting a study on such factors in schools in Spain.