Agreeableness and Transactional Educational Leadership: A Comparative Study of Afghanistan’s Democratic and Taliban Contexts.

Abstract

This study examines the relationship between agreeableness and transactional educational leadership in Afghanistan across two contrasting political contexts: the democratic governance of 2020 and Taliban rule in 2025. Using a comparative, repeated cross-sectional quantitative design, data were collected from 200 educational leaders, including school principals, college principals, and administrators. Stratified random sampling ensured representation from both rural and urban districts across Kabul, Kandahar, Balkh, Nangarhar, and Herat. Agreeableness was measured using the Big Five Inventory (BFI-44), while transactional leadership was assessed through the Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire (MLQ).Results revealed that agreeableness scores were significantly higher during the democratic era, while transactional leadership scores were higher under Taliban governance. Independent samples t-tests confirmed significant differences between the two contexts. ANOVA results showed that all facets of agreeableness altruism, sympathy, modesty, cooperation, trust, and morality were more pronounced in the democratic era. Correlation and regression analyses demonstrated a negative and significant relationship between agreeableness and transactional leadership in the democratic context, whereas under Taliban rule, the relationship was weak and non-significant. These findings highlight the moderating role of political context in shaping leadership dynamics. Personality-driven leadership appears more impactful in democratic settings, while authoritarian governance constrains the influence of interpersonal traits.