The Leadership Role in Building a Psychologically Safe Environment

(An Applied Study on a Sample of Supervisors in the Riyadh Education Department)

Abstract

 This study aimed to identify the leadership role played by male and female supervisors in the Riyadh Education Department in achieving a psychologically safe work environment that supports the mental health of employees, in line with the goals of the Kingdom's Vision 2030. The research problem stems from the lack of a clear and comprehensive understanding of leadership practices that promote psychological safety in this vital sector.

To achieve these objectives, the study adopted a descriptive-analytical approach, and a questionnaire was used as the data collection tool. The study sample consisted of 298 male and female supervisors randomly selected from a population of (1316) male and female supervisors in the Riyadh Education Department. The study reached several conclusions; Most importantly, the sample agreed that psychological factors related to leadership roles affect the mental health of supervisors, with an overall agreement rate of 78.2%. The majority also agreed that environmental factors related to leadership roles affect the mental health of supervisors, with an overall agreement rate of 72.6%. The most influential psychological factor was a sense of responsibility for work (mean 4.60, strongly agreeing), followed by maintaining the confidentiality and privacy of supervisors' information. The most influential environmental factor was the manager's positive interaction with achievements and appreciation of efforts (mean 4.09, agreeing). The results indicated no statistically significant differences in the average responses based on the current job title (supervisor). The study also revealed statistically significant differences in responses attributable to the variables of educational qualification and years of experience.