The relationship between school heads' leadership styles and teachers' perceptions of organizational cyprus (Hakkari province example)

This study was conducted to examine the relationship between school principals' leadership styles and teachers' perceptions of organizational cynicism. The relational survey model, one of the quantitative research methods, was used in the study. The study aimed to reach the entire population and collected data from 586 teachers working in public schools in the Hakkari province and its districts during the 2023–2024 academic year. The "School Principals' Leadership Style Scale" and the "Organizational Cynicism Scale" were used for data collection. In the analysis of the data, ANOVA, independent samples t-test, Pearson correlation analysis, and multiple regression analysis were conducted using the SPSS software package. The results of the study showed that the transformational leadership style is perceived positively by teachers and has a reducing effect on levels of organizational cynicism. On the other hand, laissez-faire and transactional leadership styles were found to increase teachers' cognitive, affective, and behavioral cynicism. It was observed that male teachers had higher levels of cynicism compared to their female colleagues, particularly in the sub-dimensions of "Affective and Behavioral Distancing from the Institution" and "Factors Reducing Performance." In terms of the educational level variable, high school teachers exhibited higher levels of cynicism compared to middle school teachers. Additionally, teachers with a master's degree had higher average levels of cynicism than those with a bachelor's degree. Leadership styles were found to significantly predict organizational cynicism, explaining 41.6% of the total variance in organizational cynicism.