The Influence of Principal Discipline and Effective Communication on Teacher Work Motivation
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.65820/ejes-6vol2-issue1-2026Keywords:
principal effective communication, teacher work motivation, principal discipline, PLS-SEM, contract teachers (P3K)Abstract
Purpose: The relative motivational influence of school principals' disciplinary behaviour versus their communicative quality on teacher work motivation remains theoretically underspecified, particularly among contract (P3K) teachers in emerging educational systems. Anchored in Herzberg's Two-Factor Theory and Organisational Communication Theory, this study examined whether (H1) principal discipline and (H2) principal effective communication significantly influence teacher work motivation.
Methods: A quantitative, cross-sectional survey was conducted with 140 P3K teachers at public primary schools in Pati District, Central Java, Indonesia, using proportional random sampling. Three validated five-point Likert-scale instruments measured principal discipline (16 retained indicators), principal effective communication (14 retained indicators), and teacher work motivation (13 retained indicators). Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) was implemented using SmartPLS 3.0.
Results: The structural model explained 49.4% of the variance in teacher work motivation (R² = .494; R²-adj = .487). H1 was not supported: principal discipline had no significant effect on teacher work motivation (T = 0.078 < 1.96; p = .938; f² = .000). H2 was supported: principal effective communication exerted a significant positive effect on teacher work motivation (T = 5.612 > 1.96; p < .001; f² = .222, moderate effect).
Novelty and Contribution: The novelty of this study lies in its advocacy for relational communication leadership as the evidence-based priority for motivating contract teachers in Indonesian and comparable emerging educational systems.
Practical and Social Implications: School principals should invest in communicative competence, clarity in direction-giving, empathetic engagement, and constructive recognition, rather than relying on disciplinary authority as a motivational strategy, particularly with contract teachers.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Sulistiana, Gunawan Setiadi, Ahmad Hariyadi (Author)
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This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
