A THEORETICAL INTEGRATION OF AUTHENTIC LEADERSHIP, SOCIAL EXCHANGE, AND INNOVATION: A PILOT STUDY IN MALAYSIAN SCHOOLS
Abstract
Abstract: This pilot study presents a theoretical integration of Authentic Leadership Theory, Social Exchange Theory, and Schumpeter’s Innovation Theory to examine how school leadership influences teacher innovation. Specifically, it investigates the relationship between principals’ authentic leadership (AL) and teachers’ innovative work behaviour (IWB), with a focus on the mediating role of interpersonal trust (IT). The study is situated within the Malaysian educational context, characterised by hierarchical structures and compliance-oriented cultures, which often constrain professional agency and innovation. A total of 150 secondary school teachers in the Gombak district of Kuala Lumpur participated in the study. Validated instruments were used to measure all key constructs, with strong internal consistency reliability established through Cronbach’s alpha and Composite Reliability (CR). Content validity was confirmed using the Item Content Validity Index (I-CVI), and data were analysed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) via SmartPLS 4.0. The results show that authentic leadership does not directly influence innovative work behaviour. However, interpersonal trust fully mediates this relationship, indicating that trust is a critical psychosocial mechanism linking leadership intent to innovative teacher behaviours. This finding reinforces the significance of relational pathways in leadership practice and supports the integration of trust-based leadership models within bureaucratic school systems. This study contributes a theoretically grounded and contextually relevant relational model of innovation, offering insights for school leaders, policymakers, and researchers. It also highlights the need for future research to explore additional psychosocial variables such as work engagement, psychological safety, and school culture to strengthen the model and support sustainable educational innovation.
