The Current State of Implementing Agile Leadership

and Its Role in Enhancing Administrative Creativity

among Public School Principals in Hail Region

Student:
……….

Supervisor:
……….

1444H/2022
Introduction:
Agile leadership is distinctive for a variety of leadership
competencies that allows a leader to manage an organization. Agile
leadership is associated with self-management, self-reflection, personal
reliability and integrity, interaction and relationships, teamwork,
resolution of crises and conflicts, and harmonization (Bushuyeva et al.,
2019, 80).
In the contexts of public education, agile leadership is associated
with engaging teachers in shared leadership arrangement and also
fostering continuous learning. It is a leadership approach that encourages
teachers to play a more active role in actualizing improvement initiatives
in schools. It also creates a shift in the organizational culture that supports
teachers' assumption of new leadership roles. In fact, agile leadership is
characterized by quick responsiveness to arising challenges and
opportunities, with strong emphasis on improvement, learning, and
adaptation (Leslie, 2020, 41-42).
Agile or adaptive leadership practices can of value for reaching one
of the most important organizational outcomes in educational contexts,
which is administrative creativity. Administrative creativity is of
significant value due to its role in achieving success. It allows for
expansion and becoming distinguished. In fact, the survival and growth of
educational institutions is strongly reliant on the level of administrative
creativity (Al-Tarawneh et al., 2018, 208).
The practicing of agile leadership can yield many advantages due
to its ability to make an organization unique. This is largely attributable
to the characteristics that agile leadership is distinctive for. The main
characteristics of agile leadership include the implementation of creativity
for the purpose of differentiation, creation of new ideas, combination of
both old and new ideas by in brand new ways, creation of new things that
differ from what is traditionally prevalent in the market/field, and the
discovery of new and emerging opportunities (Mahdi et al., 2021, 466).

Statement of the Problem:

In the light of constant changes and shifts in the educational
landscape, educational leaders should avoid rigid approaches of
leadership and rather adopt approaches characterized by flexibility and
adaptability. One such approach is agile leadership, which is of value for
adopting creative solutions to educational challenges. Investigating agile
education and its impacts in educational contexts is a novel area of
research. According to Ahmad et al. (2020), agile leadership is
characterized by being flexible and dynamic, as it incorporates concepts
such as resource fluidity, unity of leadership, and strategic sensitivity.
 Yalçın & Özgenel (2021) argue that agile leadership is associated
with improved outcomes among teachers. According to the study, agile
leadership fosters performance and attitudes toward professional
development among teachers. These findings corroborate those obtained
by the study of Yazıcı et al. (2022), which indicates that agile leadership
fosters affective occupational commitment among teachers.
However, there is a dearth of studies that investigated how agile
leadership can influence administrative creativity. In fact, the research on
administrative creativity in public education context is scant. One of few
studies that investigated administrative creativity in educational contexts
is the study of Bani Murtada (2020), which indicates that administrative
creativity is influenced by organization climate. The study of Alanezi
(2016) indicates that administrative creativity among teachers is
influenced by shared leadership.
The preceding discussion highlights the research problem. Agile
leadership is a relatively new area of research that warrants further
research efforts. Moreover, although some studies investigated the impact
of agile leadership in educational contexts, research on the effect of this
leadership style on administrative creativity remains scant. This a
research gap that the present study aims to address. The present study
aims to present a research contribution to the investigation of the effect of
agile leadership on administrative creativity.
The research problem is highlighted in the following main
question: what is the role of agile leadership and its role in enhancing
administrative creativity among public school principals in Hail region?

Research Questions:
 What is the degree of implementing dimensions of agile leadership
(work environment organization – continuous improvement – crisis
management) among public school principals in Hail region?
 What is the degree of administrative creativity among public school
principals in Hail region?
 Is there a statistically significant correlation at the significance level of
(0.05) between implementing agile leadership and promoting
administrative creativity among public school principals in Hail
region?

Research Objectives:
 Examining the degree of implementing dimensions of agile leadership
(work environment organization – continuous improvement – crisis
management) among public school principals in Hail region.
 Investigating the degree of administrative creativity among public
school principals in Hail region.
 Revealing the existence of a statistically significant correlation at the
significance level of (0.05) between implementing agile leadership
and promoting administrative creativity among public school
principals in Hail region.

Significance of the Study:

The significance of the present study stems from the significance
of the topic it addresses, which concerns the improvement of
administrative creativity among public education schools. The
significance of the study is highlighted in the following points.
 First: Theoretical Significance:
- The present study may aid in explaining and highlighting the
dimensions of agile leadership that must be available among public
school principals and whose implementation must be fostered at
schools.
- The present may help in revealing the levels of administrative
creativity among public school principals and highlighting ways of
promoting it.
- The researcher hopes to present a valuable scientific contribution to
literature investigating the relationship between agile leadership
and administrative creativity.
 Practical Significance:
- Findings of the present may aid in developing appropriate
recommendations for the purpose of overcoming the barriers to
implementing the dimensions of agile leadership at public schools
in Saudi Arabia.
- Findings of the present study may draw the attention of competent
professionals to the necessity of designing more training courses
and workshops for the purpose of promoting administrative
creativity among school leaders in Saudi Arabia.
- Findings of the study may help in obtaining realistic findings on
the importance of agile leadership in fostering administrative
creativity among public school principals and generalizing the
experience at all schools across Saudi Arabia.

Limits of the Study:

 Subject limits: the study is limited to investigating the current state of
implementing agile leadership and its role in promoting administrative
creativity among public school principals in Hail region.
 Time limits: the present study will be conducted, God Willing, during
the second semester of the academic year 1444H/2022.
 Place limits: this study is limited to the geographical scope selected
for the field study at public schools in Hail region.
 Human limits: the population of the study will consist of all teachers
and principals working at public schools located in Hail region during
the academic year (1444H/1444). The researcher will select a number
of them as a random representative sample.

Definition of Terms:
 Agile Leadership:
Agile leadership refers to a leader's agility and ability to think and
act in various different manners and view problems and environments
from different points of view (Simelane & Pitoro, 2019, 4).
Another definition of agile leadership is that it is the ability to
adopt and carry out sound and appropriate actions in an environment
characterized by complexity and fast changes (Kristinsdóttir, 2016, 10).
Agile leadership can also be defined as the leader's ability to learn
new leadership styles and change the practices leadership style in a
flexible manner for the purpose responding to conditions characterized by
constant and rapid changes (Attar & Abdul-Kareem, 2020, 183).
 Administrative Creativity:
Administrative creativity is defined as a set of practices that result
in the creation and acknowledgement on novel and new ideas (Al
Ghamdi, 2016, 58).
Another definition of administrative creativity is that it is
combination of competencies that enable a person to generate new and
applicable ideas, with the purpose of development, problem solving, or
improving the implementation of practices in order to achieve better
outcomes of goals achievement (Salama, 2018, 150).
Administrative creativity can also be defined as an approach of
management that depends on humans and provides unique solutions to
challenges and encourages the adoption of new work practices that are
characterized by versatility and originality (Shltout, 2014, 287).
 Public Education School:
A public education is a school that is owned and overseen by a
governmental authority which assumes the responsibility of supervision
and management of the system of education (Ezeanyi et al., 2021, 20).
Another definition of a public education school is that it is a school
that is administered, either directly or indirectly, by a specialized
governmental entity (Cheema, 2018, 22).
 A public education school can also be defined as a school that
provides education to students belonging to at least one of the public
education grades (grades 1-12), employs at least one teacher, owns at
least one building, and is managed and supported by a specialized
educational authority (Murphy-Pope, 2013, 14).

Previous Studies:
The study of Yazıcı et al. (2022), titled: "The Mediator Role of
Employee Voice in the Effect of Agile Leadership on Teachers’
Affective Occupational Commitment".
This study aimed to unveil the impact of agile leadership on
affective occupational commitment among teachers as well as the
moderating role of employees' voice in that relationship. The population
of the study consisted of all public education teachers. The sample
included (354) teachers. The study adopted a relational survey research
approach. Findings of the study include the following:
1. A significant positive relationship was found between agile
leadership and affective occupational commitment among teachers.
2. Employees' voice partially moderates the relationship between
agile leadership and affective occupational commitment among
teachers.
3. No statistically significant differences were found among sample
members' responses, as regards the variables (age – years of
experience – educational level of practice).
Recommendations of the study include the following: conducting
studies that examine the personal characteristics of school principals that
can influence occupational commitment among teachers.
The study of Yalçın & Özgenel (2021), titled: "The Effect of
Agile Leadership on Teachers’ Professional Development and
Performance".
This study aimed to investigate the impact of implementing agile
leadership by schools on teachers' performance and professional
development. The population of the study consisted of a total of
(198,165) public education teachers from Istanbul, Turkey. The final
sample included (575) teachers. The study adopted a descriptive research
design, and data was collected via questionnaires. Findings of the study
include the following:
1. The implementation of agile leadership by schools was found to be
positively associated with teachers' performance and attitudes
toward professional development.
2. Positive attitudes toward professional development were found to
be positively linked to teachers' performance.
 3. No statistically significant differences were found among sample
members' responses, as regards the gender variable.
Recommendations of the study include the following: conducting
further studies that investigate the impact of implementing agile
leadership practices on performance and professional development
among teachers.
The study of Ahmad et al. (2020), titled: "Leadership Agility
for Pandemic COVID-19: Study of The Principal's Role in
Implementing "Teach from Home" Policy".
This study aimed to investigate the role of principals' leadership
agility in implementing the "teach from home" policy in Indonesia during
the COVID-19 crisis. The sample of the study included a number public
education teachers and principals in Indonesia. The study adopted a
mixed-methods approach (quantitative and qualitative) research
approach, and data was collected through questionnaires and interviews.
Findings of the study include the following:
1. Principals applied administrative agility to a (high) degree, and that
was evident in the implementation of effective and efficient
administrative practices.
2. Principals implement a variety of concepts related to leadership
agility, which include resource fluidity, unity of leadership, and
strategic sensitivity.
Recommendations of the study include the following: conducting
quantitative studies on the implementation of agile leadership practices in
governmental organizations.
The study of Bani Murtada (2020), titled: "Correlation
between Organisational Climate and Administrative Creativity of
Secondary School Leaders in Dammam from Teachers' Perspective".
This study aimed to investigate the relationship between
organizational climate and administrative creativity at secondary schools
in the city of Dammam, Saudi Arabia. The population of the study
consisted of all secondary school teachers working in Dammam city,
Saudi Arabia. The selected sample included (150) teachers. The study
adopted a descriptive research approach, and data was collected via
questionnaires. Findings of the study include the following:
1. The level of positivity of organizational climate at secondary
schools in Dammam was rated (high) by sample members.
2. The level of administrative creativity at secondary schools in
Dammam was rated (high) by sample members.
3. A significant positive relationship was found between
organizational climate and administrative creativity.
Recommendations of the study include the following:
establishment of standards for encouraging creative practices among
educational leaders; organizing training workshops at schools on
creativity; and conducting studies that investigate other related variables,
such as change leadership and participatory culture.
The study of Alanezi (2016), titled: "The Relationship between
Shared Leadership and Administrative Creativity in Kuwaiti
Schools".
This study aimed to investigate the effect of shared leadership on
administrative creativity at schools. The population of the study consisted
of all public education teachers in Kuwait, numbered at (58,869) teachers
at the time of conducting the study. The final sample included (636)
teachers. The study adopted a descriptive research approach, and data was
collected using questionnaires. Findings of the study include the
following:
1. Levels of both administrative creativity and shared leadership were
found to be (high) at Kuwaiti schools, from the perspectives of
sample members.
2. A positive relationship was found between shared relationship and
administrative creativity.
Recommendations of the study include the following:
encouragement of teachers to practice administrative creativity at schools.

Research Methodology:
The present study will utilize the descriptive analytical approach: the
descriptive approach is concerned with collecting, classifying and
categorizing data and facts, as well as placing them in a thorough and in-
depth analysis, and also some interpretation of these results, therefore, the
methods of measurement, classification and interpretation to extract
significant conclusions, then reach generalizations about the phenomenon
under study.

Population of the Study:

The population of the study consists of all teachers and principals
working at public schools located in Hail region in the academic year
1444H/2022.

Sample of the Study:

The researcher will select, as a representative sample, a number of
teachers and principals working at public schools located in Hail region
during the academic year 1444H/2022.

Research Instrument:
 After investigating relevant literature, the author will design a
questionnaire targeting teachers and principals working at public schools
located in Hail region during the academic year 1444H/2022.

Research Procedures:
In congruence with the study limits, and for answering research
questions, the researcher will follow the following steps:
1. Previous literature and studies in that area will reviewed, both Arabic
and Foreign (in English).
2. The research instrument will be determined, prepared, and developed,
which is a questionnaire.
3. The research instrument will be presented to a group of experts and
arbitrators to confirm its validity and appropriateness for the research
questions. This will be followed by undertaking all the necessary
deletions and modifications of items in the light of their suggestions.
4. The study will be applied on a pilot sample of teachers and principals
working at public schools located in Hail region during the academic
year 1444H/2022, with the aim of confirming the validity and
reliability of the research instrument.
5. The study sample will be selected from among teachers and principals
working at public schools located in Hail region during the academic
year 1444H/2022.
6. The researcher will distribute questionnaires on study respondents
during the second semester of the academic year 1444H/2022 by
electronic distribution.
7. Results will be observed, analyzed, and interpreted. Accordingly,
recommendations and suggestions will be presented.

Statistical Techniques:
With accordance to the nature of the study and the objectives it
aims to achieve, data will be analyzed using the Statistical Package for
the Social Science (SPSS). Results will be calculated using the following
statistical methods:
1. Frequencies and percentages: for investigating the study sample's
characteristics based on personal data.
2. Means and standard deviations: for calculating means for the
questionnaire's statements as well as the total score for the
questionnaire’s axes, based on the study sample's responses.
3. Pearson correlation coefficient: for calculating internal consistency
and examining the relationships between the questionnaire's axes.
4. Cronbach's alpha coefficient: for measuring the reliability of the
questionnaire’s statements.
5. Range Equation: for describing describe the mean for the responses
to each item and axis as follows:
The degree of response was determined as to give the degree of (5)
to the response of “strongly agree”, the degree of (4) to the response of
“agree”, the degree of (3) to the response of “neither agree nor disagree”,
the degree of (2) to the response of “disagree”, and the degree of (1) to
the response of “strongly disagree”. The degree of agreement for each
item and axis was determined based on the following:
- From 1 to less than 1.80 represents a (very low) degree of
agreement.
- From 1.80 to less than 2.60 represents a (low) degree of agreement.
- From 2.60 to less than 3.40 represents a (moderate) degree of
agreement.
- From 3.40 to less than 4.20 represents a (high) degree of
agreement.
- From 4.20 to less than 5 represents a (very high) degree of
agreement.

Proposed Structure of the Study:

This study will be divided into five chapters, as follows:
1. Chapter 1 - Introduction: background of the study, statement of the
problem, research objectives, significance of the study, research
questions, limitations of the study, and definition of terms.
2. Chapter 2 - Literature Review: a review of recent relevant research.
3. Chapter 3 - Research Methodology: research methodology, study
population, study sample, limitations of the study, research
instruments, and statistical processing methods.
4. Chapter 4 - Study Results: this chapter will include presentation,
analysis, and discussion of the study results.
5. Chapter 5 - Study Results, Discussion, and Interpretation: this
chapter will include a review of the results obtained by the study as
well as recommendations and suggestions for future research.
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