Why does Transformational Leadership Influence Teacher's Health? - the role of Received Social Support, Satisfaction of the Need for Relatedness, and the Implicit Affiliation Motive

Teachers’ health is an important precondition to fulfil the educational mandate (Nieskens, 2006; Sieland, 2006). However, a great many teachers today see themselves as being subjected to increasing requirements: Forty-four percent reported that they have experienced situations in which the pressures were almost unbearable (Kunz Heim, Sandmeier, & Krause, 2014). Moreover, studies show that a significant number of teachers reach their physical and emotional limits in the course of their work (Bauer, 2009; Hillert & Schmitz, 2004; Schaarschmidt, 2005; Schumacher, Nieskens,& Sieland, 2012). First research findings in the school setting indicate that transformational leadership from the school principals is positively associated with teachers’ health (Gerick, 2014;Harazd & van Ophuysen, 2011). However, most studies do not specify why transformational leadership is positively associated with teachers’ health (cf. Wegge, Shemla, & Haslam, 2014). One exception is the work by Gerick (2014) who suggested several variables such as affective commitment and participation as variables linking transformational leadership and health. Other authors recommended to focus on contextual factors, such as social support to explain the effects of transformational leadership and health (Dost, 2014).The present research project therefore aims at identifying underlying mechanisms of the link between transformational leadership and teachers’ health focussing on the role of social processes. We address this research gap by testing a serial multiple mediation assumption integrating concepts from different theoretical approaches. Moreprecisely, this model includes received social support (Schwarzer &, Knoll, 2010), satisfaction of the need for relatedness (Deci & Ryan, 1985, 2000), and the implicit affiliation motive (McClelland, 1985b).Transformational leadership is characterised by a respectful and constructive atmosphere with mutual support among employees (Gerick, 2014). Thus, transformational leadership is assumed to benefit teachers’ health via the receipt of social support among teachers. Social support in turn is a key predictor of the satisfaction of the need for relatedness (Deci & Ryan, 1985, 2000). Satisfaction of the need for relatedness has been found to be positively related to health outcomes (Deci &Ryan, 2008; Kasser & Ryan, 1999). Whereas previous research has focused on parts of this complex process only, a holistic serial multiple mediation model has not been tested so far. Moreover, based on Motive-Disposition Theory (McClelland, 1985a) we further assume that teachers’ implicit affiliation motive moderates the association between satisfaction of the need for relatedness and teachers’ health: Particularly those teachers with a high implicit affiliation motive are expected to benefit from the satisfaction of the need for relatedness with regard to their health. The research questions and hypotheses derived from this theoretically developed serial multiple mediator model will be investigated in a longitudinal online study across one school year. The study participants will be teachers at primary (pupils aged 6 to 12years) and lower-secondary (pupils aged 13 to 15 years) compulsory school level in the German-speaking part of Switzerland. Recruitment will be supported by various stakeholders in the field of education. Overall, the proposed research project will make a substantial contribution regarding the effects of school principals’ leadership behaviour on teachers’ health. The study will uncover mediating and moderating mechanisms, based on which theory- and evidence-based interventions for health-promoting leadership can be developed in school principal training and school development programs.