Ethical Leadership and Work Culture in National Secondary Schools: A Case Study in Malacca

Zubir Abdullah, Bity Salwana Alias and Aida Hanim A. Hamid
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Zubir Abdullah: Faculty of Education, National University of Malaysia
Bity Salwana Alias: Faculty of Education, National University of Malaysia
Aida Hanim A. Hamid: Faculty of Education, National University of Malaysia

International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science, 2025, vol. 9, issue 1, 2365-2378

Abstract: In the ever-evolving educational landscape, ethical leadership is an important topic that affects not only academic achievement, but also teachers’ well-being and job satisfaction. This study was conducted to examine the influence of the principal’s ethical leadership practices on the work culture and interaction between teachers in a national secondary school in Malaysia. This is not only important to understand the dynamics of leadership in education but also to explore how such leadership affects the daily interactions of teachers and collaboration in organizations. By taking a qualitative case study approach and using a structured interview method, three teachers from three three different secondary schools through carefully planned interview questions. It in indicates that the study was conducted to explore teachers’ opinions and experiences, as well as evaluate how ethical leadership of principals affects their daily interactions with colleagues and influences cooperation between teachers in shaping the work culture in schools. Interview data were analyzed inductively using open coding to identify emerging themes. Findings show that the principal’s ethical leadership practices such as transparency in decision-making, emphasizing the value of integrity and an inclusive approach have positively influenced the interaction among teachers . Teachers report improvements in communication, mutual support and collaboration when principals adopt the approach. Overall, the principal’s ethical leadership was found to play an important role in creating a harmonious work culture in the school through practices such as transparent decision-making, giving autonomy to teachers, and promoting the value of integrity. This study concludes that there is a significant influence between the principal’s ethical leadership practices and the improvement of a positive work culture that is reflected through the interaction and cooperation between teachers in the school.

Date: 2025
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