Emotional capital in schools: principals' caring leadership as a moderator of the mediated association between emotional geographies and school climate

PurposeThe caring leadership of principals is viewed as a professional method for utilizing emotional capital. The present study investigated the moderating relationship of caring leadership with the associations between emotional geographies, emotional distance and school climate.Design/methodology/approachData from a cross-sectional survey of 305 Israeli teachers working in public schools were used to investigate a model of moderated mediation.FindingsCaring leadership of principals moderates the association of emotional distance with school climate and is related to mediated associations between emotional geographies and school climate.Originality/valueThis is the first study to combine Hargreaves' theory of emotional geographies of schools with principals' caring leadership, providing insight on the role of school leadership in bridging fundamental gaps between key actors and treating crippling emotional dynamics.