<![CDATA[This study analyzes Catholic value-based leadership in teacher role allocation in Ambon Catholic private schools facing human resource constraints. Using a qualitative case study design, this study triangulated data from principals, vice principals, and teachers (n=6). Thematic analysis identified four main themes from 25 quotations: value-based leadership (28%), person-organization fit (P-O Fit) (36%), human resource dilemma (24%), and service quality (12%). The findings indicate that Catholic core values—love, justice, discipline, friendliness, responsibility, service, and creativity—function as substantive criteria in teacher role allocation, with character prioritized over administrative competence. This value-oriented approach strengthens teachers’ intrinsic motivation, reflected in their pleasure in being trusted and willingness to accept additional responsibilities. It also supports service consistency, demonstrated by active student engagement and positive parental feedback. However, principals face a persistent dilemma between “justice and compassion” when assigning multiple roles, particularly under limited human resource conditions. The study therefore proposes an Indonesian Catholic hybrid moral-managerial model that operationalizes P-O Fit as a contextual strategy for teacher retention during human resource crises. The model emphasizes alignment between teachers’ personal values, Catholic institutional values, and organizational role requirements. Practical implications include developing value-based teacher allocation guidelines, an annual value-competency matrix, and structured job rotation to distribute responsibilities more fairly while maintaining service quality. These findings contribute to understanding how religiously grounded leadership can integrate moral values with managerial decision-making in Catholic schools facing staffing limitations, while sustaining organizational commitment and strengthening institutional identity among teachers in resource-constrained educational settings.]]>
