Objective - Human governance (HG) adopts an inside-out approach to leadership, emphasizing self-regulation, moral accountability, and ethical decision-making beyond compliance with policies. Ethical leadership, in turn, is grounded in values such as integrity, fairness, and transparency, which are essential for fostering a trustworthy and effective school environment.

Methodology/Technique - This qualitative study explores the impact of human governance on ethical leadership among school leaders using an open-ended survey. Reflective responses from 24 school leaders in public schools within Lembah Kinta, Perak, Malaysia, who had just completed an integrity-based leadership training that introduced HG were analysed thematically.

Findings - Five dominant themes emerged: integrity, accountability, transparency, efficiency, and effectiveness. Leaders who articulated these values were more likely to be perceived as ethical, reinforcing HG as a viable approach to fostering ethical governance in schools.

Novelty - The study contributes to the discourse on leadership integrity by demonstrating how HG can cultivate a school culture that prioritises ethical behaviour, trust, and responsible governance. Implications for policy, practice, and research are presented, along with limitations and future directions.

Type of Paper - Empirical

Keywords: Ethical Leadership; Governance in Education; Human Governance; Integrity and Accountability; School Leadership

JEL Classification: M14, M54.

URI: https://gatrenterprise.com/GATRJournals/JMMR/vol11.2_2.html

DOI: https://doi.org/10.35609/jmmr.2026.11.2(2)

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