Empowerment Begins with Participation: A Systematic Review of Principals' Decision-Making and Its Impact on Teachers' Job Satisfaction and School Performance

Abstract

Effective school leadership is essential for fostering teacher motivation, organizational effectiveness, and continuous school improvement. As principals' decision-making practices directly influence teachers' participation, empowerment, and job satisfaction, understanding the impact of different decision-making styles has become increasingly important for enhancing educational outcomes. This study aims to develop a systematic review of the predominantly adopted decision-making styles by the school principals and how it influences the teacher’s empowerment, Job satisfaction of the teachers and School improvement. The Preferred Reporting items for Systematic Reviews and Meta- Analysis (PRISMA) is used as a guideline for systematic literature review to collect data. The selected journal timeframe is from 2021 to 2025, with 20 chosen research articles meeting the criteria. Analysis of the selected primary studies revealed that most frequently adopted decision-making styles by the principals are rational and dependent decision-making styles. Furthermore, the findings indicate that principals who actively involve teachers in school the decision-making processes contribute significantly to improved school outcomes, while simultaneously fostering teacher empowerment and enhancing job satisfaction. Novelty: This study provides a comprehensive synthesis of existing literature by elucidating the interconnected relationship between principals’ decision-making styles, teacher job satisfaction, and school effectiveness, thereby offering a consolidated perspective that has been insufficiently explored in prior reviews.

Keywords: Decision-making, School education, Leadership, Job satisfaction, School effectiveness

DOI: 10.7176/JEP/17-8-07

Publication date: August 30th 2026