Leadership Styles and Remote Work Dynamics

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic uniquely challenged non-formal education (NFE), a
sector reliant on interpersonal engagement, by forcing a rapid shift to remote work. This
study examines how managerial leadership styles, technological self-efficacy (TSE), and
attitudes toward remote work intersect among NFE coordinators in Israel’s Arab society, a
minority community facing distinct cultural and systemic challenges. Aim: Focusing on
school-based social-community education coordinators (SCECs) and community-based
non-formal education coordinators (NFECs), the study investigates how leadership and
organizational context shaped their adaptation to crisis. Method: The study employed a
cross-sectional survey design, with data collected from 132 coordinators and 47 youth department
directors between June and October 2021 using validated questionnaires. Pearson
correlations, moderated mediation analysis, and ANOVA were used to analyze the data.
Findings: The results revealed positive correlations between transformational leadership
style (TLS), TSE, job satisfaction, and positive attitudes toward remote work. Critically, the
analysis uncovered a context-dependent mechanism: TSE fully mediated the relationship
between TLS and attitudes toward remote work, but this effect was significant only for
community-based NFECs, not for school-based SCECs. Additionally, SCECs reported
higher satisfaction and TSE than NFECs, who perceived more laissez-faire leadership.
Contributions: Drawing on Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory, the findings underscore
that leadership’s effectiveness in crises is not one-size-fits-all; its impact is channeled
through different mechanisms depending on the organizational ecosystem. The study
highlights the pivotal roles of adaptive leadership and TSE in sustaining resilient NFE
in minority communities. Theoretical and practical implications point to the need for
culturally responsive, context-sensitive leadership development and targeted technology
training to foster equitable learning environments.