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.