Leadership Behaviors and Employee Motivation as Predictive Indicators of Performance in the Palestinian Education Sector

This study aimed to analyse the extent to which leadership behaviours and employees’ work motivation contribute as predictive indicators of job performance in the Palestinian education sector, by applying the study to administrative and academic staff in Palestinian public universities. The study adopted a quantitative descriptive-analytical approach and used a questionnaire as the main tool for data collection from a population of 1,547 employees, from which a stratified random sample of 308 participants was selected. The statistical analysis revealed that the dimensions of leadership behaviours (participation in decision-making, empowerment and improvement of the work environment, inspirational motivation and professional development) and work motivation (positive incentives and reward systems, recognition of effort and career promotion, commitment to work spirit and quality of performance) contribute significantly to predicting job performance in its various dimensions, and that the joint predictive model explains a substantial proportion of the variance in job performance among the sample members. The results also highlighted the importance of integrating the role of motivational leadership with a fair professional incentive system to build high levels of efficiency, commitment, and job satisfaction. The study concluded with several recommendations, most notably strengthening participatory and empowering leadership, developing a fair and transparent incentive system, investing in leadership development programs, and activating regular feedback channels that enhance employee performance and improve the quality of work in Palestinian public universities.