Predicting teacher voice behaviour: The influence of distributed leadership, psychological empowerment and power distance orientation in Kuwait.

This study investigates how distributed leadership, defined as leadership shared among multiple school members, influences teacher voice behaviour in Kuwaiti public schools, with a focus on the mediating role of teacher psychological empowerment and the moderating effect of power distance orientation. Analyzing survey data from 1,024 teachers across 36 schools, the research found that distributed leadership positively affects teacher voice behaviour both directly and indirectly through psychological empowerment. Additionally, power distance orientation—reflecting acceptance of hierarchical power differences—negatively moderates the relationship between psychological empowerment and teacher voice behaviour, weakening the positive effects of distributed leadership in high power distance contexts. These findings highlight the importance of fostering psychological empowerment and reducing hierarchical barriers to enhance teacher participation in school decision-making, offering practical implications for educational leadership reforms in Kuwait and similar cultural settings.