From Ethical Values to Organizational Transformation: The Emergence of Ethical-Transformational Leadership Resonance in an Islamic Educational Context
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.52627/managere.v8i3.2092Keywords:
Islamic Educational Leadership, Ethical Leadership, Transformational Leadership, Leadership ResonanceAbstract
This study explores how ethical and transformational leadership, through micro-level practices, shapes teachers’ moral agency, organizational meaning-making, and sustainable development. Employing a qualitative single-case study design, this research collected data through interviews, participant observation, and document analysis. The study analyzed data using reflexive thematic analysis, supported by triangulation and member checking to ensure credibility and validity. The findings indicate that leadership functions as relational praxis that connects ethical legitimacy, transformational influence, dialogue, participation, and trust. Islamic values, including amanah, adl, integrity, responsibility, and ihsan, were embedded into everyday leadership practices and transformed into meaningful actions. These practices generated Ethical-Transformational Leadership Resonance through shared interpretation, collective commitment, and relational engagement. This resonance enhanced teacher participation, professional involvement, and moral agency while strengthening shared organizational meaning and sustainable cultures grounded in trust and responsibility. The study contributes a process-based theoretical framework integrating ethical, transformational, relational, and sensemaking perspectives. Practically, the findings suggest that leadership development should emphasize ethical reflection, relational competence, participatory decision-making, and cultural responsiveness to support sustainable educational transformation.References
Alam, M. K. (2021). A Systematic Qualitative Case Study: Questions, Data Collection, NVivo Analysis and Saturation. Qualitative Research in Organizations and Management: An International Journal, 16(1), 1–31. https://doi.org/10.1108/QROM-09-2019-1825
Alazmi, A. A., & Bush, T. (2024). An Islamic-Oriented Educational Leadership Model: Towards a New Theory of School Leadership in Muslim Societies. Journal of Educational Administration and History, 56(3), 312–334. https://doi.org/10.1080/00220620.2023.2292573
Alzoraiki, M., Ahmad, A. R., Ateeq, A. A., Naji, G. M. A., Almaamari, Q., & Beshr, B. A. H. (2023). Impact of Teachers' Commitment to the Relationship Between Transformational Leadership and Sustainable Teaching Performance. Sustainability, 15(5), 4620. https://doi.org/10.3390/su15054620
Arar, K., & Saiti, A. (2022). Ethical Leadership, Ethical Dilemmas and Decision Making Among School Administrators. Equity in Education & Society, 1(1), 126–141. https://doi.org/10.1177/27526461211070828
Bellibaş, M. Ş., Gümüş, S., & Liu, Y. (2021). Does School Leadership Matter for Teachers’ Classroom Practice? The Influence of Instructional Leadership and Distributed Leadership. Educational Management Administration & Leadership, 49(4), 655–674. https://doi.org/10.1177/1741143220906456
Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2021). One Size Fits All? What Counts as Quality Practice in (Reflexive) Thematic Analysis? Qualitative Research in Psychology, 18(3), 328–352. https://doi.org/10.1080/14780887.2020.1769238
Chaaban, Y., Arar, K., Sawalhi, R., Alhouti, I., & Zohri, A. (2021). Exploring Teachers’ Professional Agency Within Shifting Educational Contexts: A Comparative Study of Lebanon, Qatar, Kuwait, and Morocco. Teaching and Teacher Education, 106, Article 103451. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2021.103451
Cheng, Z., Dinh, N. B. K., & Zhu, C. (2024). Perceived Changes in Transformational Leadership: The Role of Motivation and Perceived Skills in Educational Leadership Training Under an EU–China Cooperation Project. European Journal of Education, 59(3), Article e12636. https://doi.org/10.1111/ejed.12636
Christian, D. S. T. (2025). Ethical Integrity and Transformational Leadership in Implementing STEM-Based Merdeka Curriculum in Rural Elementary Schools. Indonesian Journal of Educational Research and Review, 8(2). https://doi.org/10.23887/ijerr.v8i2.101982
Ezzani, M. D., Brooks, M. C., Yang, L., & Bloom, A. (2023). Islamic School Leadership and Social Justice: An International Review of the Literature. International Journal of Leadership in Education, 26(5), 745–777. https://doi.org/10.1080/13603124.2021.2009037
Grissom, J. A., Egalite, A. J., & Lindsay, C. A. (2021). How Principals Affect Students and Schools: A Systematic Synthesis of Two Decades of Research. Wallace Foundation. https://doi.org/10.59656/EL-SB1065.001
Guo, F., Xue, Z., He, J., & Yasmin, F. (2023). Ethical Leadership and Workplace Behavior in the Education Sector: The Implications of Employees’ Ethical Work Behavior. Frontiers in Psychology, 13, Article 1040000. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.1040000
Hajarana, S., Amal, M. A., & Faisal, M. F. (2025). Implementation of Good Corporate Governance in Madrasah Cooperatives as a Strategic Management Approach. Business and Applied Management Journal, 2(2).
Hallinger, P. (2020). Science Mapping the Knowledge Base on Educational Leadership and Management from the Emerging Regions. Educational Management Administration & Leadership, 48(2), 205–222. https://doi.org/10.1177/1741143218803277
Hallinger, P. (2021). A Review of Three Decades of Research on School Leadership and Educational Effectiveness. Educational Management Administration & Leadership, 49(4), 593–607. https://doi.org/10.1177/1741143220983322
Ilmi, K. (2024). Interpersonal Communication of Madrasah Heads in Increasing Teacher Work Motivation. Business and Applied Management Journal, 1(2), 104–117. https://doi.org/10.61987/bamj.v1i2.480
Janis, I. (2022). Strategies for Establishing Dependability Between Two Qualitative Intrinsic Case Studies: A Reflexive Thematic Analysis. Field Methods, 34(3), 240–255. https://doi.org/10.1177/1525822X211069636
Kareem, J., Patrick, H. A., Prabakaran, N., B, V., Tantia, V., M. P. M., P. K., & Mukherjee, U. (2023). Transformational Educational Leaders Inspire School Educators' Commitment. Frontiers in Education, 8, 1171513. https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2023.1171513
Kareem, J., Patrick, H. A., Prabakaran, N., Tantia, V., Kumar, P. M. P., & Mukherjee, U. (2023). Transformational Educational Leaders Inspire School Educators’ Commitment. Frontiers in Education, 8, Article 1171513. https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2023.1171513
Kılınç, A. Ç., Polatcan, M., Savaş, G., & Er, E. (2021). The Mediating Effect of Teacher Self-Efficacy Regarding the Relationship Between Transformational School Leadership and Teacher Agency. Educational Studies. https://doi.org/10.1080/03055698.2021.1894549
Lehtonen, S., & Seeck, H. (2023). Multilevel and Multisite Leadership Development from a Leadership-as-Practice Perspective: An Integrative Literature Review. European Journal of Training and Development, 47(10), 53–68. https://doi.org/10.1108/EJTD-09-2021-0135
Leithwood, K., Harris, A., & Hopkins, D. (2020). Seven Strong Claims About Successful School Leadership Revisited. School Leadership & Management, 40(1), 5–22. https://doi.org/10.1080/13632434.2019.1596077
Maitlis, S., & Christianson, M. (2022). Sensemaking in Organizations: Taking Stock and Moving Forward. Journal of Management Studies, 59(3), 849–872. https://doi.org/10.1111/joms.12720
Maritsa, E., Goula, A., Psychogios, A., & Pierrakos, G. (2022). Leadership Development: Exploring Relational Leadership Implications in Healthcare Organizations. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(23), 15971. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph192315971
Mishra, S., & Dey, A. K. (2022). Understanding and identifying 'themes' in qualitative case study research. South Asian Journal of Business and Management Cases, 11(3), 187-192. https://doi.org/10.1177/22779779221134659
Mphatsoane-Sesoane, L., & Jita, L. C. (2025). Analysing the Role of Ethical Leadership in Fostering Teacher Agency for Inclusive Digital Pedagogical Innovation. Discover Education, 4, Article 493. https://doi.org/10.1007/s44217-025-00944-2
Özdoğru, M., & Sarıer, Y. (2024). The Relationship Between Ethical Leadership and Organizational Outcomes in Educational Settings: A Meta-Analysis. Humanities and Social Sciences Communications, 11, Article 1125. https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-024-04070-6
Pantić, N., Galey, S., Florian, L., Joksimović, S., Viry, G., Gašević, D., Knutes Nyqvist, H., & Kyritsi, K. (2022). Making Sense of Teacher Agency for Change with Social and Epistemic Network Analysis. Journal of Educational Change, 23, 145–177. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10833-021-09413-7
Patriansyah, M., Natalisa, D., & Maulana, A. (2026). Promotion, Price, and Customer Decisions to Upgrade Electricity Capacity: A Value-Based Decision Approach. Business and Applied Management Journal, 4(2), 377–388. https://doi.org/10.61987/bamj.v4i2.2411
Priya, A. (2021). Case study methodology of qualitative research: Key attributes and navigating the conundrums in its application. Sociological bulletin, 70(1), 94-110. https://doi.org/10.1177/0038022920970318
Raelin, J. (2021). Leadership-as-Practice: Antecedent to Leaderful Purpose. Journal of Change Management, 21(4), 385–390. https://doi.org/10.1080/14697017.2021.1942966
Raihani. (2020). Creating Multicultural Citizens: A Portrayal of Contemporary Indonesian Education. Routledge.
Ruben, B. D., & Gigliotti, R. A. (2021). Explaining Incongruities Between Leadership Theory and Practice: Integrating Theories of Resonance, Communication and Systems. Leadership & Organization Development Journal, 42(6), 942–957. https://doi.org/10.1108/LODJ-02-2021-0072
Suratman, S., & Sugiyono, S. (2025). The Mediating Role of Teachers' Digital Competence in the Relationship Between Curriculum Management and Smart Learning. Business and Applied Management Journal, 3(2), 315–326. https://doi.org/10.61987/bamj.v3i2.1646
Taufiq, M., Satori, D., Sururi, & Marwan. (2024). Transformational Leadership in Schools: A Bibliometric Analysis Based on Scopus Database. JAMP: Jurnal Administrasi dan Manajemen Pendidikan, 7(4), 634–650.
Toprak, M., & Chen, J. (2023). Transformational School Leadership: A Systematic Review of Research in a Centralized Education System. Journal of Educational Administration, 61(5), 514–530. https://doi.org/10.1108/JEA-10-2022-0185
Van Tiem, J. M., Schacht Reisinger, H., Friberg, J. E., Wilson, J. R., Fitzwater, L., & Moeckli, J. (2021). The STS Case Study: An Analysis Method for Longitudinal Qualitative Research for Implementation Science. BMC Medical Research Methodology, 21, Article 27. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12874-021-01215-y
Wang, Z., Han, L., & Zhang, L. (2025). Exploring Educational Leadership and Teacher Ethics: Who Can Lead and What Are the Key Qualities? Ethics & Behavior, 35(8), 623–637. https://doi.org/10.1080/10508422.2024.2447954
Yoeliyanto, J., Yulianto, B., Trihantoyo, S., & Sa'diyah, D. F. (2025). Digitalizing Faculty Career Advancement: How SIM-PAK Quality Accelerates Academic Rank Promotion. Business and Applied Management Journal, 3(2), 394–406. https://doi.org/10.61987/bamj.v3i2.1984
Yoserizal, Sulaiman, & Rahman, A. (2024). Transformational Leadership in Educational Settings: A Systematic Review. Mimbar Ilmu, 29(3), 1–12. https://doi.org/10.23887/mi.v29i3.90157
Zulqarnain, M., & Ali, Z. (2023). Impact of Leadership Styles on Employee Performance in Micro-Finance Banking Sector: Evidence from Pakistan. Business and Applied Management Journal, 1(1), 48–64. https://doi.org/10.61987/bamj.v1i1.413
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Moh Nadhif, Anas Tania Januari, Qisthi Efridita
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
