Decision making was studied in 55 public secondary schools in New Jersey. Aston's methodology was used and showed that principals who shared decison making had teachers who were more loyal, satisfied, and described the authority structure as less rigid. A distinction was made between delegated and joint decison making. (author/dc).

Democratic participation in education suggests that communities will be served best when decision-making is decentralized and when people--teachers, parents, and students alike--are encouraged to participate directly in making decisions that affect them. In contrast, the notion of administrative leadership implies hierarchical elevation of chief…

This study is a comprehensive exploration of six mechanisms of control, both hierarchical and nonhierarchical, which constrain the work of elementary school principals but provide them a balance of control and autonomy. The database consists of extensive indepth interviews with 113 elementary school principals in 59 school districts from 3…