Findings from a study to examine the relationships of both personal and organizational predictors with both managerial commitment and job satisfaction of school administrators are presented in this paper. A total of 99 public school and 77 private school administrators participated in a mailed survey, a 70.4 percent response rate. Multiple…

Findings from a study that investigated the consequences of role conflict, role ambiguity, and demographic and organizational factors on work satisfaction and somatic complaints are presented in this paper. Data were derived from a survey administered to 225 Taipei (Taiwan) junior high school administrators, which elicited 211 responses (a 93…

Findings of a case study that examined the evolution of a mentoring relationship in an elementary school are presented in this paper. The collaboration to implement a school improvement project developed between a new female elementary school principal and a male external change agent/school researcher. Data were derived through participant…

Findings of a study that examined the relationship between teachers' perceptions of school climate and their perceptions of empowerment are presented in this paper. Questionnaires were completed by 257 teachers, in 6 states from 8 schools, who participated in nationwide school empowerment projects. Findings indicate that school climate, age, and…

The leadership task for a new age of schools is to stimulate continuous innovation, rather than to manage for compliance using outdated standards of work. This paper presents a typology of work cultures--the varying work conditions of schools and the challenges they present to principals in developing high-performance work cultures. Data were…

This document contains six chapters that examine the role of teacher leadership in the school-restructuring process. Chapter 1, "When--Teachers Lead" (Bruce S. Cooper), provides a general introduction to the content and purpose of the monograph. Chapter 2, "When--Teachers Share School-Level Decision-Making" (Sharon Conley and Justo Robles),…

Quality is an important part of the process of managing institutional change. This book focuses on how Total Quality Management (TQM) as a management philosophy translates into practice, both in school systems and corporations. Data were obtained through observations and interviews conducted at 11 sites--4 companies and 7 educational facilities.…

School board difficulties are not a problem of people, but of process. This book presents a radically new model of board governance that energizes board members to build a strong, vibrant organization that achieves its goals. Following the preface, chapter 1 recounts the varieties of boards, their predictable difficulties, and the need for more…

Australia's economy slowly emerged from recession in the 1990s. Populist government leaders claimed that their economic restructuring policies of the 1980s were responsible for the economic turnaround. But even with greater national economic optimism, Australians have wondered why their country has not fared better economically both internally and…

This case study presents findings from a year-long ethnographic study of the female principal of a secondary school in an innercity setting. It concludes one of seven studies conducted in elementary and intermediate schools in urban, suburban, and rural settings to investigate the instructional management role of principals. Data collection…

There are many forms of school decentralization within and among countries. This paper presents findings of a study that compared decentralization efforts in England and the United States to identify changes that have been made in school-management structures and the effect of these changes on school operation. Data were derived from: (1)…

A study highlighted the extent to which TV news directors and subordinates perceived negative reinforcement to be used to help establish working climate in their newsrooms, and examined the differences in their perceptions that working climate affects personal ability to do "best" work on the job. Twenty news directors and 40…

Ways in which humor is used as an administrative technique are explored in this paper, with a focus on its impact on school culture. Case study methodology is based on interviews with two principals and five staff members at a Tennessee high school. Following a review of transcript excerpts, the principal's use of humor is viewed through four…

A profile of Washington is presented, which examines trends in the state's economy, environment, population, and educational system. A contradiction exists between the state's beautiful scenery and well-educated population and its high crime and suicide rates. The state is characterized by a highly educated work force, a less diversified economy,…

Organizational cultures are systems of publicly and collectively accepted meanings, beliefs, values, and assumptions that a staff uses to guide its actions and interpret its surroundings. In an effort to suggest concrete ways a principal can change or maintain a culture, three important elements of a school culture are discussed: content, symbols,…