The number of studies related to school reform and principal leadership styles confirms both the interest in how the two might be related and the enigma that schools and principals present as research topics. The art and science of school reform is hard to figure. While many studies attempt to make sense of an overlapping and competing set of variables that are found in good schools, nearly all studies have confirmed some support for principals as a key ingredient to school improvement. This study seeks to add to the increasing amount of research related to principal leadership styles in an era of increasing levels of accountability. The focus for this study was on four high school principals who were identified as "successful" by their central office superintendents. Each of the principals was a veteran administrator in three of the six largest school districts in Florida. This study's initial focus was on site-based management and the amount and degree of control afforded the principal, teachers and parents in secondary schools. The literature review found that site-based management by itself could not be confirmed as a reliable, research-supported school reform protocol. In each case where site-based management or distributed leadership was found to be successful, the principal was the key antecedent to the school improvement. This study sought to add to the research on principal leadership styles by providing a qualitative view on the lives and efforts of the principals in these four schools. The study employed a phenomenological approach and used a technique called portraiture to paint the narratives of the four participants. The interviews and site visits provided a great deal of data and produced four key themes or tendencies found in all four principals: They tended to be I-focused, We-focused, Servant-focused, and Learning-focused. These four styles of leadership were found to be both overlapping and paradoxical. Though each of the participants had slightly different leanings, all of them shared aspects of the four tendencies. The study adds to the growing research on school reform and principal leadership styles and provides a deeper understanding of each through its use of phenomenological methods.

This study examined the commitment of teachers to the implementation of ninth grade academies and their perceptions of school leadership during the reform process. Concern for successful high school completion prompted the redesign of ninth grade into a school-within-a-school format within a Florida school district. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to determine the type of commitment and form of leadership evident in this reform initiative along with the relationship between them. As a mindset for change, commitment was represented as affective, normative, and continuance. Leadership styles were delineated as transformational, transactional, and passive/avoidant along with related outcomes of effectiveness, satisfactions and extra effort. This study utilized an electronic survey with purposive sampling. Five questions concerning the type of commitment, the form of leadership and outcomes, and the correlation between commitment and leadership guided this research. Descriptive analysis of the responses from 105 teachers produced findings of both affective and normative commitment to change and evidence of transformational leadership as well as the contingent reward dimension of transactional leadership. Leadership outcomes of effectiveness, satisfaction, and extra effort were also expressed by teachers. The results validated the presence of affective and normative commitment of teachers responsible for reform efforts and indicated a relational influence between transformational and transactional leadership behaviors with these two forms of commitment to change. Current pressures of accountability have channeled schools into models of continuous improvement. If schools are to enact lasting change, an understanding of commitment and leadership is needed to produce sustainable school reform.

Proactive organizational behavior is characterized by self-started and long-term oriented activities involving forward thinking and the intention to effect change in one's work environment. The primary objective of this research was to investigate relationships of supervisory behaviors with subordinates' personal initiative, voice behavior, and proactive service performance and to reveal moderators and mediators of these associations. Whereas personal initiative represents a wide range of proactive behaviors, voice behavior specifically reflects challenging and constructive forms of change-oriented communication. Drawing on the proactivity, service, and performance literatures, the proactive service performance construct was newly conceptualized as self-started and long-term oriented service behavior exceeding prescribed requirements.Twelve hypotheses were developed based on the implications of several leadership, performance, and motivation theories as well as previous empirical studies. Data from 229 supervisor-subordinate dyads were collected in a large financial services organization across three lines of business and ten U.S. states. Confirmatory factor analyses demonstrated that proactive service performance, voice behavior, and task performance were distinguishable performance dimensions. Participative leadership related positively and active-corrective transactional leadership negatively to supervisor ratings of subordinate proactivity. Transformational leadership was positively associated with personal initiative, proactive service performance, and task performance. In hierarchical regression analyses, the block of leadership variables explained significant increments in the variance of all criteria, after several control, subordinate, and task variables were accounted for.Moderated hierarchical regressions revealed that transformational leadership positively predicted voice only when combined with high participation or low levels of co rrective leadership. Similarly, transformational leadership was more strongly and positively associated with initiative when corrective leadership was low. Participative leadership more strongly and positively related to voice for action-oriented subordinates low in hesitation and to all proactivity criteria for subordinates low in affective organizational commitment. Mediated regression analyses as well as structural equation modelling identified trust in leadership as a mediator of most of the relationships between the leadership predictors and the proactivity criteria. The discussion focuses on practical implications for leadership development, conceptual implications for the distinction between task performance and proactivity, and directions for future research on the antecedents and consequences of proactive behavior.

Den här uppsatsen baseras på en enkätundersökning bland lärare i en kommun i Östergötland, där lärarnas uppfattning, om det fanns plats för passion i vardagspraktiken och om det uppmuntrades och stöttades av skolledningen, undersöktes. Frågeställningarna, om lärarnas uppfattning om de har någon passion, om de får möjlighet att utöva den i sin vardagsprakrik, om de stimuleras eller hindras av styrdokumenten, samt om de upplever att skolledningen tillför inspirerande motivation i en passionerad vardagspraktik, ledde till enkätfrågorna. Detta är en kvantitativ studie i enkätform, inom det empirisk-induktiva fältet, med en kvalitativt inriktad analys då svaren i enkäten är lärares uppfattningar av bl.a. relationer till skolledning och kollegor. Den har sin grund i positivismen, med så objektiva frågeformulering som möjligt samt lärarnas uppfattningar av fenomen och företeelser som svar (Bryman, 2002). Goda exempel av lärares uppfattningar analyserades och sammanfattades utifrån den förståelse som tidigare forskning gett. Aktuell forskning undersöktes och sammanlänkades med de undersökningsresultat som erhållits. Lärarna uppfattar att de får utrymme för sina passioner i vardagspraktiken, att de uppmuntras och stöttas av skolledningen och att deras arbete med passioner är lönemeriterande. Skolledarna möter lärarna i pedagogiska diskussioner, men är mindre benägna att ge tid schemamässigt. Vad gäller styrdokumenten anser lärarna att de inte är något hinder för en passionerad vardagspraktik. Kärnan i undersökningen var ändå om lärarna ansåg att de hade någon passion och det fanns en samstämmighet runt den elevcentrerade passionen: Elevernas lärande och elevernas välmående var i fokus när de skulle ange sin passion i vardagspraktiken. / This essay is based on a survey among teachers in a municipality in Östergötland, where the teachers' opinion, if there was room for passion in everyday practice and if it was encouraged and supported by the school management, was investigated. The issues of teachers' perception if they have passion, if they are given the opportunity to exercise it in the everyday practice, if they are stimulated or hindered by the policies, and whether they interpret the school management adding inspiring motivation in a passionate everyday practice, led to the survey questions.   This is a quantitative survey in the form of a questionnaire, in the empirical-inductive field, with a qualitatively oriented analysis where the answers in the questionnaire are teachers' experiences of, inter alia, relationships with school management and colleagues. It is rooted in positivism, with objective questionnaires, as well as teachers' perceptions of phenomena and phenomena responses (Bryman, 2002).   Good examples of teachers impressions were analyzed and summarized based on the understanding that was given by previous research. Current research was studied and linked with the findings obtained. The teachers perceive they get space for their passions in everyday practice, they are encouraged and supported by the school management and that their work passions are wage meritorious. School leaders meet teachers in educational discussions, but are less likely to give time schedule-wise. As for the policy documents the teachers consider them not to be an obstacle to a passionate everyday practice.   The core of the investigation was still if the teachers perceived that they had any passion, and there was a consensus around the student-centered passion: Students' learning and students' well-being was the focus when their passion in everyday practice was to be mentioned.

Η παρούσα διπλωματική έχει ως σκοπό τη διερεύνηση των εννοιών της «μετασχηματιστικής ηγεσίας», της «συναλλακτικής ηγεσίας», της «συναισθηματικής νοημοσύνης», της «επικοινωνίας» και της «λήψης αποφάσεων». Για το σκοπό αυτό διενεργήθηκε και εμπειρική έρευνα, εκτός από βιβλιογραφική, σε οργανισμούς του τραπεζικού κλάδου. Στη μελέτη συμμετείχαν 131 εργαζόμενοι του τραπεζικού κλάδου, από τους οποίους ζητήθηκε συγκατάθεση για συμμετοχή στην έρευνα. Τα πρωτογενή δεδομένα συλλέχθηκαν από τα δομημένα ερωτηματολόγια που διανεμήθηκαν. Το ερωτηματολόγιο αποτελούνταν από 5 θεματικές ενότητες, που οι τέσσερις πρώτες αφορούσαν τις έννοιες που προαναφέραμε και ένα ερωτηματολόγιο κοινωνικο-δημογραφικών στοιχειών. Αφού ολοκληρώθηκε η συλλογή των δεδομένων, πραγματοποιήθηκε επεξεργασία τους με τη χρήση του στατιστικού πακέτου SPSS. Οι στατιστικές αναλύσεις αποτελούνταν από τέσσερα στάδια: i) ανάλυση παραγόντων, ii) έλεγχος αξιοπιστίας, iii) συσχετίσεις και iv) βηματική παλινδρόμηση. Μέσα από το εμπειρικό κομμάτι της έρευνας διαπιστώνουμε, από τις παλινδρομήσεις που διενεργήσαμε, ότι η ενσυναίσθηση (διάσταση της συναισθηματικής νοημοσύνης), η επίσημη επικοινωνία και η συμμετοχική λήψη αποφάσεων αποτελούν προβλεπτικούς παράγοντες τόσο της μετασχηματιστικής ηγεσίας όσο και της συναλλακτικής ηγεσίας. Οι παράγοντας που διαφοροποιούν τους μετασχηματιστικούς ηγέτες από τους συναλλακτικούς ηγέτες είναι οι κοινωνικές δεξιότητες και η αυτορρύθμιση της συναισθηματικής νοημοσύνης (που αποτελούν προσδιοριστικούς παράγοντες της μετασχηματιστικής ηγεσίας), άλλωστε κατέχοντας ένας προϊστάμενος αυτή τη διάσταση της συναισθηματικής νοημοσύνης, μπορεί να ελέγχει τις αντιδράσεις του και κατ’ επέκταση είναι σε θέση να μπορεί να παρακινεί και να έχει ανεπτυγμένες τις κοινωνικές δεξιότητες. / This study aims to explore the relationship of transformational leadership and transactional leadership, with the emotional intelligence, the organizational communication styles and participative decision-making The sample is composed by 131 bank employees who provided consent to participate in our research. The primary data were collected by distributed structured questionnaires. The questionnaire consisted of five thematic sections, the first four were the concepts mentioned above and the latter related to demographics. Data were analyzed by the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (IBM SPSS 20). Statistical analyzes consisted of four stages: i) factor analysis (PCA), ii) internal consistencies, iii) correlations and iv)stepwise multiple regressions. Multiple regressions analyses indicate that empathy (as dimension of emotional intelligence), formal communication, self-regulation and participative decision making were predictors of transformational leadership and transactional leadership, as well. The factor that differentiates leaders with transformation leadership style from those with transactional, is the ability of self-regulation and social skills.

Η παρούσα διπλωματική έχει ως σκοπό την διερεύνηση των εννοιών της συναλλακτικής και μετασχηματιστικής ηγεσίας, της διοίκησης συγκρούσεων και της συναισθηματικής νοημοσύνης στους διεθνοποιημένους οργανισμούς και πιο συγκεκριμένα στις φαρμακοβιομηχανίες που λειτουργούν κάτω από τις δύσβατες συνθήκες της ελληνικής πραγματικότητας. Για το σκοπό αυτό διενεργήθηκε και εμπειρική μελέτη εκτός από βιβλιογραφική, στο κλάδο της φαρμακοβιομηχανίας. Συγκεκριμένα, στη μελέτη που πραγματοποιήθηκε συμμετείχαν 123 διοικητικά στελέχη πολυεθνικών φαρμακοβιομηχανιών, που εδρεύουν στην Ελλάδα ή είναι θυγατρικές ελληνικών εταιριών, από τους οποίους ζητήθηκε συγκατάθεση για συμμετοχή στην έρευνα. Τα πρωτογενή δεδομένα συλλέχθηκαν από τα δομημένα ερωτηματολόγια που διανεμήθηκε.Η παρούσα μελέτη παρουσιάζει σημαντικά ευρήματα σχετικά με τα στυλ ηγεσίας, την συναισθηματική νοημοσύνη και την διοίκηση. Παρόλα αυτά έφερε στο φως και προβλήματα που είναι γνωστά αλλά και δυσεπίλυτα. Όσο αναφορά τη διοίκηση συγκρούσεων έχει γίνει κατανοητό ότι αποτελεί μια διαδικασία και για να είναι αποτελεσματικά διαχειρίσιμη, απαιτείται το άτομο – ηγέτης να διαθέτει αυτεπίγνωση και αυτοέλεγχο. Τέλος όσο αναφορά την ηγεσία παρατηρήθηκε τόσο σύνδεση με την συναισθηματική νοημοσύνη όσο και με την διοίκηση συγκρούσεων πράγμα λογικό αφού ένας ηγέτης είναι αναγκαίο στην σημερινή εποχή να χρησιμοποιεί τα εργαλεία (συναισθηματική νοημοσύνη και διοίκηση συγκρούσεων) για να μπορέσει να αντεπεξέλθει στις απαιτήσεις του περιβάλλοντος. Παράλληλα υπάρχει και αλληλεξάρτηση της ηγεσίας με την επικοινωνία αφού αποτελεί ρόλο κλειδί στη αποτελεσματικότητα και βιωσιμότητα της οργάνωσης / This dissertation is driven by the aim to investigate the significance of transformational and transactional leadership, conflict management and emotional intelligence in the international organizational. Under this scope, a research took place at the pharmaceutical sector. Specifically, the statistical data are from 123 managers of multinational pharmaceutical companies, which are established in Greece or are Greek subsidiary companies. The pharmaceutical companies were asked to confirm the participation at this procedure. The primary data were collected by structured questionnaires.This study presents significant findings according to leadership styles, emotional intelligence and conflict management. Nonetheless, problems that are known and unresolved are analyzed. The conflict management has been understood to be a process and for it to be effective it requires the person – leader to have self-awareness and self-control. Finally, according to leadership, it has been observed and a link to emotional intelligence and a conflict management. A leader is necessary nowadays to use tools like emotional intelligence and conflict management in order to meet the demands of the environment. At the same time, there is interdependence of leadership with the communication for the reason that is the most important factor in the effectiveness and sustainability of the organization

The purpose of this research project was to examine whether frontline nurse managers who had attended a leadership program, perceived their leadership style as containing behaviors representative of transformational leadership. A secondary purpose was to determine the participant's opinions about the value of a leadership program for their practice. Current literature was utilized to support this research project examining a nursing systems issue.The primary instrument used to collect data about leader practice was the Leadership Practices Inventory (LPI) (University of Georgia, 2002). An evaluation tool was also designed and utilized to gather information about the participant's perception of their leadership behaviors after completion of a training program. Survey participants were selected from nurses who completed the Arizona Healthcare Leadership Academy (AzHCLA) (2007) course in the last four years.A course survey and results from the LPI revealed that study participants perceived an increase in their behaviors related to leading others as well as having learned new skills by having completed the AzHCLA course. Nurse's educational levels were compared to the five leadership practice subgroups from the LPI to examine whether a nurse's educational level could better account for an increase in leadership competencies. Research data revealed that no relationship between educational levels existed but that certain leadership skills were gained by having completed a leadership educational program. By using descriptive statistics, mean scores were used to identify differences in how nurses perceived their individual competencies and behaviors after having completed leadership education. Reported perceptions of competencies and behaviors indicated that educational programs can be beneficial to frontline nurse leaders.While results from an ANOVA showed there was no statistical significance related to education and LPI subgroups, there was a trend in the mean differences for those individuals with a master's degree. Qualitative data revealed that course participants perceived having gained new leadership skills and behaviors. The data from this study created a baseline of information that warrants further investigation to identify if indeed education makes a difference in perceived leadership practices.

Syftet med föreliggande studie var att inom idrottskontexten studera samband mellan idrottares upplevelser av de olika ledarskapsstilarna (1) transformativt, (2) konventionellt och (3) låt-gå med olika motivationsinriktningar inom Självbestämmandeteorin (SDT). I studien deltog 117 handbolls- och fotbollsspelare i åldrarna 16-33 år (M = 19.17, SD = 3.61). Deltagarna besvarade enkäter bestående av Sport Motivation Scale-II (SMS-II) för att mäta motivationsinriktning, Transformational Teaching Questionnaire (TTQ) för att mäta upplevt transformativt ledarskap samt delar av Developmental Leadership Questionnaire (DLQ) vilket avsåg att mäta upplevt konventionellt ledarskap och låt-gå ledarskap. Resultaten visade att det fanns statistiskt signifikant samband mellan upplevt transformativt ledarskap och inre motivation samt yttre självbestämmande motivation (identifierad reglering och integrerad reglering). Vidare visades att det fanns statistiskt signifikant samband mellan upplevt konventionellt ledarskap och ickesjälvbestämmande motivation (extern reglering och introjicerad reglering). Inget signifikant samband visades mellan upplevt låt-gå ledarskap och amotivation. Studieresultaten har diskuterats i förhållande till teorier och tidigare forskning där slutsatsen är att både transformativt och konventionellt ledarskap har samband med idrottares motivation vilket kan vara betydande kunskap för praktisk tillämpning inom idrottskontexten. Studiens resultat ligger i linje med den tidigare knapphändiga forskningen inom området men mer forskning behövs. / The purpose of the present study was to examine relationships between athletes' perceptions of different leadership styles and motivational orientations within the context of sports. Theoretical frameworks of transformational; conventional; and laissez-faire leadership - as well as the different motivational orientations within Self-Determination Theory (SDT) - were applied. Participants were 117 handball and soccer players aged between 16-33 years (M = 19.17, SD = 3.61). Participants completed questionnaires consisting of the Sport Motivation Scale-II (SMSII) to estimate motivational orientations; the Transformational Teaching Questionnaire (TTQ) to measure perceived transformational leadership; and parts of the Developmental Leadership Questionnaire (DLQ), which intended to measure perceived conventional leadership and perceived laissez-faire leadership. The results revealed significant correlations between both transformational leadership and intrinsic motivation as well as extrinsic self-determined motivation (identified regulation and integrated regulation). Furthermore, results showed significant correlations between conventional leadership and non-self-determined motivation (external regulation and introjected regulation). The correlation between perceived laissez-faire leadership and amotivation was not statistically significant. The results are discussed in relation to theories and previous research. Conclusions were that both transformational and conventional leadership correlate with athlete's motivation, hence the knowledge of said subjects may be meaningful for practical application. The results are in line with previous limited research however further research is needed.

A predominantly authoritarian nature of schooling is still evident internationally and nationally (Maitles & Deuchar, 2007; Harber, 2004; Grant, 2006). In accordance with the Constitution of South Africa, schools in this country need to foster a democratic way of life and principals need to be instrumental in creating, leading and governing democratic schools. Dewey (1916) asserts that if individuals are to pursue and establish a democratic way of life, they must be afforded opportunities to learn the meaning of that way of life. Thus democratic schools play a pivotal role in their contribution to democratic societies (Beane & Apple, 1999; Gutmann, 1987) and to democracy at large. This empirical study explores the experiences and practices of school principals in creating, leading and governing democratic schools in an urban area, south of Durban in KwaZulu-Natal. Situated within an interpretive paradigm, this study is embedded in qualitative research. For a deep understanding of the phenomenon a case study approach was appropriate. Two secondary schools whose principals were willing to participate and which had some characteristics of democratic schools as outlined in the literature review comprised the sample. Data were gathered through observations of the principals. In addition staff meetings, staff briefing sessions and school governing body (SGB) meetings were observed. Semi-structured interviews were conducted and various school documents were reviewed. Findings at both schools revealed that the principals associated democratic schools with the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, and as such they claimed that democratic schools are linked to democratic principles. At both of the case study schools the respondents made reference to a range of democratic principles. These included shared decision-making, with emphasis on inclusion of all stakeholders, and the need for a shared purpose and shared vision. Both of the schools advanced the notion of democratic schools promoting critical thinking and respecting the rights and dignity of all individuals. Other democratic principles referred to were representation of various stakeholders, democratic schools embracing diversity, the notion of interconnectedness between the school and the community, individuals being accorded equal value, trust, transparency and openness. Thus there was a shared language with regard to the notion of a democratic school. The participants concurred that the principal plays a pivotal role in promoting and practising democracy in the school. At both schools the principals seemed to move away from stereotypical authoritarian behaviour. They viewed leadership as a collective endeavour and promoted participative leadership. This study revealed that at the case study schools, leadership was extended to others in the school community and there seemed to be a flattening of traditional leadership hierarchies. There was also evidence of servant leadership and distributed leadership. Although both principals believed in democratic school governance and were moving towards shared school governance, the learners’ voice in SGB meetings was minimal. However, the respondents concurred that more can be done with regard to inclusion of stakeholders in major decisions. The principals also referred to some challenges that retard the practice of democracy in schools. The embedded nature of democratic principles in shared leadership and democratic school governance is emphasized, and a model for creating a democratic school is presented. In this way, this study can contribute to the growing body of literature on democratic schools. / Thesis (Ph.D.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Edgewood, 2012.

This study explores the narrated experiences of nine women heads of department (HoDs) in their roles as middle managers of secondary schools in South Africa. There is scant literature about women who hold such positions in schools. Too little is known about how they develop as middle managers and what capabilities they need to perform a management function. This study aims to push that peripheral attention given in education management literature to women in middle management roles in schools into sharp focus by concentrating on the women who operate in this much neglected tier of management. The study seeks to do this by understanding how women HoDs develop capabilities in a changing social context so that they become able to function as transformational middle managers and leaders at secondary schools. The key critical questions posed in the study are: * What are the narratives from women HoDs about how they developed their capabilities in a transforming and contested social context? * What are the capabilities that enable women middle managers to function as managers? * In what way do the capabilities of women middle managers enable them to function as transformational leaders? Located within the feminist paradigm, the study employs a participatory narrative methodology in two phases to generate data through qualitative participatory methods such as life-history interviews, letter-writing, journaling and participant observations. The first phase in the field focuses on eliciting accounts from nine women HODs about their lived experiences from early childhood to adulthood in order to understand how they developed their capabilities and how they came to take up management roles. Central to the development of capabilities are family relationships and educational experiences that influenced and equipped them for management. The second phase of data generation concerns observations and experiences of the women HoDs in their middle management roles. In this part of the study, role models, mentors and practices as middle managers come to the fore. To understand how women middle managers develop as managers in a transforming school context, and what capabilities enable the women middle managers to function in their role as transformational leaders, the study uses two theoretical lenses. The first lens is Nussbaum's and some educational scholars‟ expansion of Sen's capability approach; and the second lens is Bass and Avolio's and Leithwood et al's work on the behaviours and attributes of transformational leaders, which are used to separate out the capabilities that enable women to function as transformational middle managers. Five key findings emerge in this study: * The foundational management capabilities that enable women to function as transformational leaders in school management develop over an extended period of time from childhood into early career years. * Women identify mentors and/or role models who are afar from or in close proximity to them and who are located within their personal and/or professional domains as significant formative influences on them as middle managers in schools. While some women assert that their mentors and role models put up some barriers to their development as middle managers, these women employed their agency and resilience to offset any weak capability development. * Women middle managers' capability to function as transformational HODs is constituted in four attributes that emerge through the practice of behaviours and attributes that characterise transformational leadership. The management capabilities and the transformational leadership functionings are aligned on the basis of leadership attributes, namely, developing knowledge and skills; setting departmental directions; developing people in the department; and redesigning the department. * While women middle managers in schools have the internal capability to function as transformational leaders based on the foundational management capabilities they developed over many years, the external conditions within the school context may constrain them from functioning as transformational leaders. When external conditions support the development of women‟s management capabilities, then women appear to have a strong capability set; however when there are barriers to their capability development, then their capability set may be weak. * Neither the capability approach nor transformational leadership theory on their own is sufficient to understand how women develop capabilities to function as transformational leaders within the middle management tier of schools in the South African context. Based on these five findings, especially the fifth finding, the thesis of this study is that the affinity and complementariness between the development of foundational management capabilities and the behaviours and attributes of a transformational leader proposes a hybrid of the two theoretical lenses. This new approach, referred to as the Transformational Leadership Capabilities Approach, provides an explanation of how women middle managers develop capabilities appropriate for a management role and how they can function in that management role as transformational leaders. The Transformational Leadership Capabilities Approach unifies the capability approach and transformational leadership theory on the basis that management capabilities and transformational leadership behavioural components and dimensions are complementary. / Thesis (Ph.D.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2013.