The purpose of this study is to find how the principals’leadership styles of the public elementary and middle schools in Gwangju Metropolitan City affect the administrative faculties’ morale. This study also aims to provide informative data for th...
The purpose of this study is to find how the principals’leadership styles of the public elementary and middle schools in Gwangju Metropolitan City affect the administrative faculties’ morale. This study also aims to provide informative data for the principals when they use their power in order to they can improve school management and achieve the goals of school education efficiently. To accomplish the aims mentioned above, the study analyzes the principals’ leadership styles perceived by administrative faculties; they are classified by various factors such as the faculties’ gender, experience, responsibilities, rank and title and the level of school. It also examines differences among the faculties and investigates the relationship between the principals and the administrative faculties’ morale.
The results from the analysis of administrative faculties who work at public elementary and middle schools in Gwangju Metropolitan City are as follows.
First, all administrative faculties perceived their principal the efficiency-oriented leadership style 34.5%, the human relationship-oriented leadership style 14.9%, the task-oriented leadership style 23.4% and the inefficiency-oriented leadership style 27.2%. According to faculties’ background factors, faculty members who have worked over 11 years were more likely to perceive their principal as possessing an efficiency-oriented or human relationship-oriented leadership style, and faculty members who have worked less 10 years were more likely to perceive the leadership style of their principal task-oriented and inefficient. Clerical workers tended to perceive the principal the efficiency-oriented style more than technical officers. High-ranking faculty members (higher than 7th) tended to see their principal as an efficiency-oriented leader whereas those ranking lower (lower than 8th) tended to feel leadership style of the principal task-oriented and inefficient.
Second, the administrative faculties’ overall morale rate was 3.036 higher than an average 3.0, job satisfaction was the most influential factor on the morale and others such as a sense of belonging, the pride of the job and spiritual bonds were following. The morale of faculty members with more than 11 years’ experience was higher than that of faculty members with less than 10 years’ experience, and the morale of higher-ranking faculty members (7th) was better than that of lower-ranking faculty members (8th).
Third, the administrative faculties’ morale, according to the principal’s leadership style, differed significantly (p<0.001). Taking all factors into consideration, the administrative faculties’ morale rate showed higher with the efficiency and human relationship-oriented leadership style whereas the morale rate with the task and inefficiency-oriented leadership style.
As a result of the study, the following conclusions can be made.
1. On the leadership style of principal perceived by administrative faculties, the choosing ‘efficiency style’ shows the highest rate, the rate of choosing ‘human relationship style’ is the lowest and the rate of the task-oriented style was as high as that of the inefficiency style. On the one hand, it is good that the principals are likely to be perceived as efficiency-oriented leaders, while on the other hand it is problematic that 27.2% of faculties perceive principals as inefficient. In reality, the democracy and autonomy of school management has been emphasized and, as a result, principals need to change their leadership style from the inefficiency-oriented to efficiency-oriented and human relationship-oriented.
2. The morale of administrative faculties with more experience and in higher ranks tends to be higher whereas the morale of the staff with less experience and in lower ranks is likely to be lower. With more experience and a higher ranking, the staff pays attention to school administration and social support has a positive effect on the morale, whereas with less experience and a lower ranking, the faculties feel relative deficient regarding various working conditions such as social status and treatment, which thus has a negative effect on morale. Principals need to exercise leadership while considering the staff’s experience and rank.
3. The leadership style of a principal is closely related with the faculties’ morale. The morale of the administrative faculties is higher when they are exposed to an efficiency-oriented or human relationship-oriented leadership style of the principals; therefore principals need to focus their leadership style on human relationships as well as daily tasks. In other words, Principals must strike a balance between the completion of tasks and the maintaining of human relationships. The morale of the faculties can be promoted through principals’ efforts; the efficient achievement of tasks will be gained by interaction between the principal and faculties.
With this study, a close connection between the leadership of the principals and the morale of the administrative faculties can be found. Therefore, principals are expected to demonstrate their leadership in an effective way and raise faculties’morale in order to encourage them to support teachers well. Principals need to pay attention and make constant efforts to reach educational goals of their schools efficiently. Thus, when managing the school system, principals should try not to be bureaucratic and hierarchical. Instead they are expected to re-train themselves to be leaders who can enhance not only the task-oriented leadership but also the human relationship-oriented leadership style.