Work Stress Among Managers in the Educational Environment and Its Relationship to Performance and Job Satisfaction A Field Study Applied to Secondary School Principals at the Education Monitoring Office in the Municipality of Qasr Bin Ghashir

Abstract

This research aimed to identify the relationship between work stress, performance, and job satisfaction among school principals in the Libyan educational environment, and to pinpoint the organizational and environmental obstacles that exacerbate these stresses. The research employed a descriptive-analytical approach, utilizing a questionnaire administered to the research sample. The findings revealed several key results, including: a moderate level of workload, time pressure, interpersonal stress, and personal and psychological stress; a high level of resource scarcity stress; and a high level of job satisfaction among the principals. The results also showed a statistically significant negative correlation at a significance level of less than (0.05), indicating that as work pressures increase, job performance among managers decreases. Similarly, a statistically significant negative correlation at a significance level of less than (0.05) was found, indicating that as work pressures increase, job satisfaction among managers decreases. The results also showed that job satisfaction is a cornerstone of school administration stability, acting as a mediating variable that mitigates the negative effects of stress. The study confirmed the emergence of a new type of stress called 'technological stress,' resulting from the sudden digital transformation and a lack of technical skills. Accordingly, the study recommended adopting training programs to develop stress management skills, formulating precise job descriptions that clearly define responsibilities, and improving the incentive system and organizational fairness to raise job satisfaction levels and enhance the quality of professional life.