Document Type : Original Article
Authors
1
Department of Public Administration, Shoushtar Branch, Islamic Azad University, Shoushtar, Iran
2
Department of Accounting, Izeh Branch, Islamic Azad University
3
Department of Public Administration, Shoushtar Branch, Islamic Azad University, Shoushtar, Iran.
Abstract
Purpose: Organizations of the 21st century are different from those of the past and require new leadership methods. Traditional organizational leadership styles are not helpful for the new era. One of the new methods is utilizing neuroscience and brain science in leadership. Neuroscience-based leadership, as an emerging domain, aims to improve and enhance leadership activities and obtain new positive methods for creativity, innovation, and employee commitment. Today, leadership in educational organizations, especially in education, is of great importance. Educational organizations are those that have knowledge-based outputs. On the other hand, educational organizations face challenges and problems, including the lack of specific leadership mechanisms to improve performance, insufficient knowledge among leaders in interacting with employees, and the application of traditional leadership. Furthermore, a comprehensive model of neuroscience-based leadership in educational organizations has not yet been developed, and if a model has been presented in other countries, it has been tailored to their unique structural, cultural, and human characteristics and has not been ecologically validated. For these reasons, the researcher, identifying this as a necessary need, has focused on enhancing existing findings and expanding the literature of previous research, and this study has been conducted to provide a neuroscience-based leadership model in the education sector of Lorestan province.
Design/Methodology/Approach: The research is practical in nature and, in terms of execution, is considered a mixed qualitative and quantitative study. The qualitative method was conducted in two phases; in the first phase, a meta-synthesis was utilized. For the meta-synthesis, the 8-step method by Xiao and Watson (2017) was employed, which includes setting questions, developing a systematic review protocol, searching literary background, screening and selection, quality control, data extraction, analyzing and combining findings, and reporting findings. A total of 37 selected articles were used for the meta-synthesis, and primary dimensions and components were extracted using coding. In the second qualitative phase, a sample of 15 individuals was purposefully selected to form a Delphi group. Two Delphi rounds and data synthesis were conducted, resulting in consensus and theoretical adequacy. Reliability and validity in the qualitative section were confirmed by the expertise of the Delphi panel. In the quantitative phase, a researcher-constructed questionnaire was used. In the quantitative questionnaire, the content and face validity method was utilized. Cronbach's alpha coefficient was used to determine reliability. The Cronbach's alpha value exceeding 0.7 confirmed the suitability of the questionnaire's tool. In the quantitative section, from a statistical population of 1222 individuals, 292 samples were selected using Cochran's formula and stratified random sampling. Structural equation modeling and Smart PLS-3 software were used to analyze and examine the data.
Findings: For modeling neuroscience-based leadership in educational organizations, 17 components were identified and extracted. The components are: foresight, organizational effectiveness, strategic use of human resources, individual autonomy, flexibility, experiential thinking, paradigm shifts in leadership, high-level thinking, communication abilities, employee motivation abilities, problem-solving, learning behaviors, focus, change management, emotional management, alignment between technology, processes, and employees, and emotional intelligence. The results of this research indicate that all components have been confirmed, and overall, the model has a good fit. This model is based on strong scientific foundations as each component is supported by one or more scientific studies.
Discussion and Conclusion: With these neuroscience-based leadership components in educational organizations, managers and organizational leaders become empowered and can display appropriate and constructive behavior in their interactions and relationships with employees. Understanding how brain and nerve processes work can influence the behavior and decisions of organizational leaders and help managers implement more effective and better practices for educational management. Utilizing these components makes the work environments more friendly for the human resources' minds and brains, enabling organizational managers and leaders to move forward on the path to achieving organizational goals.
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