Building a Religious and Innovative Organizational Culture: Transformative Leadership Practices of Madrasah Principals
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.55583/jkip.v7i1.1930Keywords:
transformational leadership; organizational culture; religious culture; innovation; madrasah.Abstract
Organizational culture plays a strategic role in supporting quality improvement and the sustainability of educational institutions, including madrasahs. The leadership of the madrasah principal is a key factor in shaping and directing organizational culture to align with religious values and the demands of educational innovation. This study aims to describe the transformational leadership practices of the madrasah principal in developing a religious and innovative organizational culture at MTsN 17 Tanah Datar. This research employed a qualitative approach with a case study design. The madrasah principal was selected as the key informant, while teachers and educational staff served as supporting informants selected through snowball sampling. Data were collected through observation, in-depth interviews, and document analysis. Data analysis was conducted using the interactive model of Miles and Huberman, which includes data reduction, data display, and conclusion drawing. Data validity was ensured through triangulation and member checking. The findings indicate that the transformational leadership of the madrasah principal plays a significant role in transforming organizational culture from conventional work patterns into a religious, collaborative, innovative, performance-based, and externally oriented culture. This cultural transformation was realized through exemplary leadership and the strengthening of discipline, the habituation of religious activities as an organizational identity, the development of a participatory work culture, encouragement of innovation and continuous learning, the implementation of an appreciation-based culture, and the strengthening of communication and external relations of the madrasah. These changes in organizational culture have led to increased motivation and professionalism among madrasah members, improved institutional management quality, and a positive public image and community trust in the madrasah.
References
Afandi, A. (2025). The Role of Transformational Leadership in Enhancing Discipline Among Educators and Educational Staff in Islamic Educational Institutions. Syaikhuna: Jurnal Pendidikan Dan Pranata Islam, 16(01), 170–188.
Alzouebi, K., Al Hammadi, D. Y., Ankit, A., & Abu Khurma, O. (2025). School Innovation: Building a Culture Through Leadership and Stakeholder Engagement. Societies, 15(4), 77.
Anderson, M. (2017). Transformational Leadership in Education: A Review of Existing Literature. International Social Science Review, 93(1), 1–13.
Anggreni, M. (2020). Pengaruh budaya organisasi terhadap mutu pendidikan. Jurnal PTK Dan Pendidikan, 6(2). https://jurnal.uin-antasari.ac.id/index.php/ptkpend/article/view/4101
Ardiansyah, A., Hamidah, H., & Susita, D. (2020). The Influence of Organizational Culture and Compensation toward Organizational Citizenship Behavior and Its Implications on Turnover Intention of the Internal Employees of Matahari Department Store. KnE Social Sciences, 4(14), 21–36. https://doi.org/10.18502/kss.v4i14.7855
Assingkily, M. S., & Mesiono, M. (2019). Karakteristik Kepemimpinan Transformasional di Madrasah Ibtidaiyah (MI) serta Relevansinya dengan Visi Pendidikan Abad 21. MANAGERIA: Jurnal Manajemen Pendidikan Islam, 4(1), Article 1. https://doi.org/10.14421/manageria.2019.41-09
Atasoy, R. (2020). The Relationship Between School Principals’ Leadership Styles, School Culture and Organizational Change. International Journal of Progressive Education, 16(5), 256–274.
Ayık, A., & Ataş, Ö. (2014). An analysis of the relationship between high school teachers’ organizational commitment levels and perceptions of school culture. Mevlana International Journal of Education, 4(3), 69–82.
Barling, J. (2000). Transformational leadership. Retrieved From, Query date: 2025-01-05 19:05:53. https://smith.queensu.ca/insight/file/qsb_whitepaper_leadership.pdf
Bass, B., & Riggio, R. (2006). Transformational leadership. taylorfrancis.com. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781410617095
Çakır, T., & Özgenel, M. (2024). The Relationship Between Transformational Leadership and School Happiness: The Mediating Role of School Culture. Research in Educational Administration and Leadership, 9(3), 240–280.
Connolly, M., James, C., & Fertig, M. (2019). The difference between educational management and educational leadership and the importance of educational responsibility. Educational Management Administration & Leadership, 47(4), 504–519. https://doi.org/10.1177/1741143217745880
Deal, T. E., & Peterson, K. D. (2016). Shaping school culture. John Wiley & Sons. https://books.google.com/books?hl=id&lr=&id=aBesDAAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PR9&dq=Peterson,+K.+D.,+%26+Deal,+T.+E.+(2009).+Shaping+School+Culture+(2nd+ed.).+San+Francisco,+California,+United+States:+Jossey-Bass.&ots=ahsxvd7KP9&sig=pF1G1klMGCJbRrxorYUhMm_PVtM
Deng, C., Gulseren, D., Isola, C., Grocutt, K., & Turner, N. (2023). Transformational leadership effectiveness: An evidence-based primer. Human Resource Development International, 26(5), 627–641. https://doi.org/10.1080/13678868.2022.2135938
Denison, D., Nieminen, L., & Kotrba, L. (2014). Diagnosing organizational cultures: A conceptual and empirical review of culture effectiveness surveys. European Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology, 23(1), 145–161. https://doi.org/10.1080/1359432X.2012.713173
Fadilah, L., & Hamami, T. (2021). Kepemimpinan Trasformasional dalam Pendidikan Islam. EDUKATIF : JURNAL ILMU PENDIDIKAN, 3(6), 4186–4197. https://doi.org/10.31004/edukatif.v3i6.1381
Faqih, M. M., Najiburrohman, N., & Hasanah, M. (2025). Transformational Leadership in Developing the Quality of Lecturers’ Careers in Islamic Higher Education. Journal of Educational Management Research, 4(1), 27–41.
Gumilar, N. (2023). Budaya Organisasi dan Kepemimpinan di Dunia Pendidikan. PT. Kimshafi Alung Cipta.
Hacker, S., & Roberts, T. (2003). Transformational Leadership. books.google.com. https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=bOyiEAAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PR13&dq=transformational+leadership&ots=fE0-2SU7Nu&sig=T90ymwPCbxafggzkjwWIMvh0BtM
Hapid, A. (2024). PENGARUH GAYA KEPEMIMPINAN TRANSFORMASIONAL TERHADAP BUDAYA SEKOLAH YANG POSITIF. Jurnal Kepengawasan, Supervisi Dan Manajerial (JKSM), 2(4), 98–102. https://doi.org/10.61116/jksm.v2i4.446
Hidayah, I. N., Kurniawaty, I., & Parhan, M. (2025). Reinforcing school culture through religious-based habituation. Jurnal Pendidikan Karakter. http://jurnal.uny.ac.id/index.php/jpka/article/view/88704
Hoy, W. K., & Miskel, C. G. (2012). Administration: Theory, Research, And Practice.
Kalkan, Ü., Altınay Aksal, F., Altınay Gazi, Z., Atasoy, R., & Dağlı, G. (2020). The Relationship Between School Administrators’ Leadership Styles, School Culture, and Organizational Image. SAGE Open, 10(1), 2158244020902081. https://doi.org/10.1177/2158244020902081
Korejan, M. M., & Shahbazi, H. (2016). An analysis of the transformational leadership theory. Journal of Fundamental and Applied Sciences, 8(3), Article 3. https://doi.org/10.4314/jfas.v8i3s.192
Mahfudi, A. Q., & Rifa’i, M. (2025). Implementation of School Culture in Improving Religious Character in Islamic Boarding Schools. Urwatul Wutsqo: Jurnal Studi Kependidikan Dan Keislaman, 14(2), 493–509.
Malik, W. M., & Efendi, N. (2024). Kepemimpinan Kepala Madrasah dalam Membangun Budaya Religius Siswa. MUNTAZAM, 5(1).
Maslowski, R. (2001). School Culture and School Performance.
Maulidin, S., Pramana, A., & Munir, M. (2024). Kepemimpinan kepala sekolah dalam meningkatkan budaya religius: Studi Di SMK Al Hikmah Kalirejo. VOCATIONAL: Jurnal Inovasi Pendidikan Kejuruan, 4(2), 86–95.
Mukhtar, M., Risnita, R., & Juniarni, C. (2020). Public Relation Management In Developing Organizational Behavior. International Journal of Educational Review, 2(1), 18–29.
Nailan, A. S., & Nugraha, M. S. (2024). Memberdayakan Pendidik melalui Kepemimpinan Transformasional: Peran Kepala Madrasah dalam Meningkatkan Efektivitas Guru | FONDATIA. https://ejournal.stitpn.ac.id/index.php/fondatia/article/view/5479
Nugroho, P. (2024). The Impact of Teacher Training and Experience on Performance: Strengthening Educational Quality Through Professional Development. Journal of Islamic Studies and Education, 3(1), 101–106.
Nurfajrina, S., Efendi, U., & Sucitra, D. A. (2022). Pengaruh Budaya Organisasi terhadap Mutu Pendidikan di Sekolah. Jurnal Manajemen Mutu Pendidikan, 10(2), 26–37.
Nurhayati, N., & Fathurrohman, F. (2025). Gamification in School Education: A Systematic Review of Its Effectiveness in Improving Student Motivation and Academic Outcomes. AL-ISHLAH: Jurnal Pendidikan, 17(2), 2356–2368.
Oktavianda, B. G. R., & Pradana, B. I. (2024). Implementasi Learning Organization Pada Sekolah Menengah Pertama Negeri. Jurnal Kewirausahaan Dan Inovasi, 3(4), 953–970.
Pramita, Y. W., & Rifameutia, T. (2025). Strengthening School Effectiveness Through Collaborative Working: An Evaluation of Training Impact. Jurnal Paedagogy, 12(3), 808–817.
Rafni, R., Najmuddin, N., & Marsitah, I. (2024). Pengelolaan Budaya Kolaboratif dalam Meningkatkan Kinerja Guru Sekolah Luar Biasa (SLB) Kabupaten Aceh Utara. JAMP: Jurnal Administrasi Dan Manajemen Pendidikan, 7(4), 493–508.
Rahmatika, N. (2024). The Meaning of Sincerity in Transformational Leadership at The Islamic Boarding School Educational Institution. International Journal of Educational Management and Innovation, 5(2), Article 2. https://doi.org/10.12928/ijemi.v5i2.9656
Razak, A. F. A., Ghani, M. F. A., & Radzi, N. M. (2024). The Empowering Tomorrow’s Educators: A Systematic Literature Review of Pre-Service Teacher Leadership. IJE (International Journal of Education), 17–37.
Reinius, H., Hakkarainen, K., Juuti, K., & Korhonen, T. (2024). Teachers’ perceived opportunity to contribute to school culture transformation. Journal of Educational Change, 25(2), 369–391. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10833-023-09496-4
Sakinah, N., & Mahmud, M. Y. (2025). KEPEMIMPINAN KEPALA MADRASAH DALAM MENINGKATKAN BUDAYA RELIGIUS DI MADRASAH ALIYAH SWASTA MAHDALIYAH KOTA JAMBI. Pendas: Jurnal Ilmiah Pendidikan Dasar, 10(04), 212–222.
Samad, R. (2007). Educational Management in the Context of Quality Management: Managing Change for Improving Learning Community. Masalah Pendidikan, Query date: 2025-01-05 19:14:35. https://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/document?repid=rep1&type=pdf&doi=01443100518c26e00893d21ffd37f9d430546745
Sasan, J. M., Escultor, G. R., & Larsari, V. N. (2023). The impact of transformational leadership on school culture. International Journal of Social Service and Research, 3(8), 1899–1907.
Song, M., Chen, P., & Cao, H. (2023). Effect of School Organizational Culture on Teacher Leadership. International Journal of Higher Education, 12(5), 1–80.
Sun, J., Chen, X., & Zhang, S. (2017). A Review of Research Evidence on the Antecedents of Transformational Leadership. Education Sciences, 7(1), Article 1. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci7010015
Syifa, L., & Cahyono, H. B. (2024). PERAN DAN STRATEGI HUMAS DALAM MENINGKATKAN CITRA SEKOLAH DI MI MIFTAHUL ULUM PURWOASRI. MEDIAKOM, 7(02), 210–224.
Wilson Heenan, I., De Paor, D., Lafferty, N., & Mannix McNamara, P. (2023). The impact of transformational school leadership on school staff and school culture in primary schools—A systematic review of international literature. Societies, 13(6), 133.







