Leadership and Policy in Schools, 2026 (ESCI, Scopus)
Schools are interactive structures where many dynamics coexist. The interaction of each dynamic in this structure with the others is also an important factor affecting the effectiveness and quality of the educational organization. In this study, we focused on the dynamics influencing the school. In this line, this study aims to examine the mediating role of school culture in the relationship between organizational justice and leader-member exchange. The study employed a correlational design to investigate the relationships among the study variables. We gathered data from 429 teachers with various characteristics to test the model. We tested four hypotheses in the study and obtained the following results: (1) Perceived organizational justice has a positive effect on leader-member exchange, (2) Organizational justice positively affects and enhances school culture, (3) School culture contributes positively to leader-member exchange and enhances the quality of communication, (4) School culture mediates the relationship between organizational justice and leader-member exchange. The results highlight that strengthening the organizational culture of schools and increasing teachers’ perceptions of justice will positively contribute to the effectiveness and quality of schools.