Understanding professional zone of acceptance for teacher-leader interactions: a dynamic framework € Unal Deniz Department of Educational Sciences, Manisa Celal Bayar University, Manisa, T€urkiye Abstract Purpose – This study employs a comprehensive theoretical synthesis and literature review methodology to examine the evolution and current state of the professional zone of acceptance (PZoA) in educational leadership. Design/methodology/approach – Building upon the foundational theories of Barnard and Simon, the research develops a dynamic model that integrates temporal, contextual, leadership approach, and individual characteristics dimensions to explore the relationship between evolving school leadership theories and teachers’ PZoA. Findings – The study identifies four key factors that shape teachers’ acceptance of leadership practices: temporal, contextual, leadership approach, and individual characteristics. Accordingly, the interplay of these factors contributes to the effectiveness of leadership practices through their alignment with teachers’ PZoA across different cultural and organizational settings. Originality/value – The findings reveal that PZoA functions as a dynamic, context-sensitive process influenced by multiple interacting factors rather than a static construct, thereby contributing to educational leadership literature. The resulting framework provides a comprehensive understanding of how various factors interact to shape teachers’ acceptance of leadership practices across different cultural contexts, offering practical implications for school leaders and policymakers in developing context-sensitive leadership approaches. Keywords School leadership, Theory-practice gap, Leadership approach, Professional zone of acceptance, Teacher-leader interactions Paper type Conceptual paper Introduction The concept of school leadership, which plays a critical role in educational outcomes and institutional effectiveness, is being increasingly examined by educational researchers in terms of its alignment with theory and practice (Hendawy Al-Mahdy et al., 2024; Leithwood et al., 2020; Pietsch et al., 2023). While contemporary leadership theories provide valuable insights for enhancing school effectiveness, the translation of these theoretical concepts into practice often involves significant challenges (Cansoy et al., 2024; Evans, 2022). These challenges are further complicated by variations in teachers’ degrees of accepting and implementing leadership practices (Bush, 2018; Day et al., 2016; Deniz and Demirkasimo�glu, 2022). The concept of the Professional Zone of Acceptance (PZoA), representing the range of behaviors and instructions that teachers are willing to accept and implement from their leaders, provides an important lens for examining this theory-practice gap (Deniz and Demirkasimo�glu, 2022; Kunz and Hoy, 1976). Since its emergence, the zone of acceptance (ZoA) has been discussed in the literature as a critical aspect of organizational functioning and effectiveness, addressing various aspects of organizational life such as performance, school climate, collaboration, informal relationships, and leadership behaviors of school principals (e.g. Hoy and Brown, 1988; Kunz and Hoy, 1976; Nielsen and Jacobsen, 2018; Petersen et al., 2019). Moreover, positive relationships have frequently been determined between the PZoA of teachers and various factors such as morale, performance, contract types, managerial experiences, loyalty to the school principal, and interpersonal trust (Blackbourn and Wilkes, 1985; Davis, 1979; Mullins, 1984; Nielsen and Jacobsen, 2018; Thakur, 1996). While these studies provide important insights into understanding the ZoA since its introduction by Barnard in 1938, studies examining the concept were primarily conducted International Journal of Educational Management Received 25 November 2024 Revised 2 June 2025 Accepted 29 August 2025 International Journal of Educational Management © Emerald Publishing Limited e-ISSN: 1758-6518 p-ISSN: 0951-354X DOI 10.1108/IJEM-11-2024-0727 Downloaded from http://www.emerald.com/ijem/article-pdf/doi/10.1108/IJEM-11-2024-0727/10298222/ijem-11-2024-0727en.pdf by Manisa Celal Bayar Universitesi user on 19 Septembe