School unit leaders’ people management: Impact on teachers’ line of sight and school unit performance

This study seeks to understand how school unit leaders’ people management and communication of school goals impact school unit performance through a cognitive path, drawing on theoretical insights from both human resource management (HRM) and educational leadership literature. Utilizing data from a sample of 5769 teachers across 559 units, this paper empirically studies the mediating role of teachers’ line of sight in the relationship between school unit leaders’ activities (i.e. people management and communication of school goals) and school unit performance. The findings provide robust evidence supporting the significant impact of school unit leaders’ activities on both teachers’ line of sight and school unit performance. This underscores the pivotal role of school unit leaders in shaping educational outcomes, extending beyond influencing teachers’ motivation to their cognitive understanding of how they can contribute to school goals.