A Pilot Study on Leadership Styles Influencing Innovative Work Behaviour among Educators: The Mediating Role of Digital Competency

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.24191/ji.v21i2.11595

Keywords:

Digital competency, Educators, Innovative work behaviour, Leadership styles, Pilot study

Abstract

This pilot study assessed the clarity, reliability, and appropriateness of a survey instrument designed to examine the influence of leadership styles specifically transformational, servant, and digital leadership on innovative work behaviour (IWB) among educators, with digital competency as a proposed mediator. A quantitative survey approach was employed, utilising a six-point Likert scale. Data were collected from a sample of 20 educators, comprising secondary school teachers and higher education lecturers in Malaysia, before the main empirical study. Reliability analysis was conducted using Cronbach's alpha to evaluate the internal consistency of the adapted constructs. The results demonstrated that all the constructs achieved good to excellent reliability, with their Cronbach's alpha values ranging from 0.818 to 0.969, well above the recommended threshold of 0.70. Furthermore, the analysis indicated high item comprehension and structural suitability among the respondents. These findings confirm that the adapted instrument is psychometrically sound and highly reliable for use in a full-scale empirical investigation. Conducting this pilot study strengthens the methodological rigour of the research and invites confidence in the subsequent step of large-scale data collection within the Malaysian educational context.

Author Biographies

  • Nur Qamarina Sharom, Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia

    Nur Qamarina Sharom, PhD is a senior lecturer at Faculty of Economics and Muamalat, Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia. Her main research activity is in the area of organizational behaviour and management. She has published on these subjects in publications such as the International Journal of Human Resource Management, International Journal of Business, Economics and Law, Global Business and Management Research and others. She can be reached through her email at nurqamarina@usim.edu.my

  • Saida Farhanah Sarkam, MARA University of Technology

    Saida Farhanah Sarkam, PhD is a senior lecturer at the Faculty of Business and Management, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Melaka Branch, Malaysia. Her main research activity is in the area of technology management and business management. She has published on these subjects in publications such as the International Journal of Human Resource Management, International Journal of Business, Economics and Law, Global Business and Management Research and others. She can be reached through her email at saidafarhanah@uitm.edu.my

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Published

2026-07-30

How to Cite

A Pilot Study on Leadership Styles Influencing Innovative Work Behaviour among Educators: The Mediating Role of Digital Competency. (2026). Jurnal Intelek, 21(2), 295-307. https://doi.org/10.24191/ji.v21i2.11595