The Impact of Soft Quality Management on Teachers’ Commitment to Change: The Mediating Role of Organizational Identity (Case Study of Junior High School Teachers in Khorramabad, Iran)

Document Type : Scientific - Research

Authors

1 Associate Professor of Educational Management, Department of Educational Sciences, Faculty of Literature and Humanities, University of Lorestan, Khorramabad, Iran

2 Associate Professor of Information Science and Knowledge Studies, Department of Educational Sciences, Faculty of Literature and Humanities, University of Lorestan, Khorramabad, Iran

3 Ph.D. Candidate in Educational Management, Department of Educational Sciences, Faculty of Literature and Humanities, University of Lorestan, Khorramabad, Iran

10.48308/mpes.2026.240845.1619

Abstract

Objectives: In the rapidly evolving landscape of contemporary education, systems face the imperative of reevaluating their structures and managerial approaches to ensure sustainability and dynamism. Central to the success of educational reforms is teachers’ commitment to change—a form of dedication not rooted in mere compliance or obligation, but in the deep internalization and acceptance of transformative goals within the educational system. Among the factors that can significantly bolster this commitment is the adoption of innovative managerial paradigms, such as Soft Total Quality Management (Soft TQM). This approach prioritizes humanistic elements, fostering effective communication, nurturing organizational culture, and cultivating the psychological and organizational readiness essential for embracing change. Furthermore, organizational identity, as a pivotal psychological construct, shapes teachers’ perceptions of belonging, unity, and loyalty to their institution, serving as a critical mediator between managerial strategies and commitment to change. By fostering a sense of collective identity, Soft TQM can enhance teachers’ emotional and professional alignment with reform initiatives. Accordingly, this study aims to investigate the impact of Soft TQM on teachers’ commitment to change, with organizational identity as a mediating variable, among junior high school teachers in Khorramabad, Iran, to provide insights into fostering sustainable educational transformations.
Methods and Materials: This applied research adopted a descriptive-correlational design, utilizing structural equation modeling (SEM) to test the hypothesized relationships. The study population comprised 1,454 junior high school teachers in Districts 1 and 2 of Khorramabad’s education department during the 2024–2025 academic year. Using Krejcie and Morgan’s table, a sample of 304 teachers was selected through proportional stratified random sampling, stratified by gender and school district to ensure representativeness. Data were collected using three standardized questionnaires: Commitment to Change (Herscovitch & Meyer, 2002), Soft TQM (Zeng et al. 2015), and Organizational Identity (Bezri, 2017). The instruments’ validity was established through Average Variance Extracted (AVE) indices, ensuring that the constructs adequately captured the intended variables. Reliability was confirmed using Cronbach’s alpha and Composite Reliability (CR), demonstrating high internal consistency. Data analysis was performed using SPSS 26 for descriptive statistics and SmartPLS 3 for SEM, enabling robust testing of direct and indirect effects within the proposed model.
Findings: Demographic analysis revealed that 57.4% of respondents (n = 157) were female, and 42.6% (n = 130) were male, with 52.8% holding a master’s degree, reflecting a relatively educated sample. The mean scores for Soft TQM (M = 3.80), organizational identity (M = 3.94), and commitment to change (M = 3.64) indicated moderately high levels, suggesting a positive disposition among respondents toward these constructs. Inferential analysis using SEM demonstrated that Soft TQM exerted a significant positive effect on teachers’ commitment to change (β = 0.514) and organizational identity (β = 0.719). Additionally, organizational identity significantly predicted commitment to change (β = 0.386), underscoring its role as a key determinant. The indirect effect of Soft TQM on commitment to change through organizational identity was also significant (β = 0.277), contributing to a total effect of 0.791. The Sobel test further corroborated the mediating role of organizational identity (Z = 6.444). The model’s goodness-of-fit index (GOF = 0.618) confirmed a strong fit, indicating that the proposed relationships were well-supported by the data.
Result and Discussion, The findings indicate that Soft TQM, through its emphasis on effective communication, empowerment, participative decision-making, and a supportive organizational culture, significantly enhances teachers’ organizational identity and psychological attachment, thereby fostering their commitment to meaningful change in schools. These results align with established theoretical frameworks, including social identity theory, transformational leadership, and self-determination theory, which emphasize the importance of human-centered approaches in organizational management. By strengthening motivational mechanisms, promoting professional autonomy, and cultivating a culture of organizational learning, Soft TQM can deepen teachers’ commitment to change, paving the way for sustainable educational reform. The study highlights the critical role of organizational identity as a mediator, channeling the effects of managerial strategies into tangible outcomes for teacher engagement. Based on these findings, it is recommended that educational policymakers prioritize the development of school leaders’ soft skills, moving away from purely bureaucratic mandates toward teacher-centered, culturally responsive change models. School principals should institutionalize human-centered quality approaches by implementing professional development programs, creating participatory governance structures, facilitating reflective practice workshops, establishing robust feedback mechanisms, and fostering a positive organizational climate. These strategies can strengthen organizational identity and promote proactive commitment to transformative change among teachers, ultimately contributing to the resilience and adaptability of educational systems.

Keywords

References

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Journal of Management and Planning In Educational System
Volume 18, Issue 2 - Serial Number 35
September 2025
Pages 145-174

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