The research seeks to suggest the use of negotiations as a managerial task of the school principal with learners to eliminate or at least limit unrest practices like violence, intimidation of learners by principals and intimidation of principals by learners, suspicions, vandalism, strike actions and class boycotts which destroy and negate the culture of learning and teaching services. All these destructive practices, lead to poor production of matric results in schools in South Africa in general and in the North West Province in particular. The purpose of this study therefore was to determine by means of a review of literature and an empirical investigation, the nature of negotiations in schools and the skills needed by practising principals in the discharge of their management tasks. The empirical study was also aimed at determining the most important and the least important of the negotiation skills. Chapter 1 deals with the statement of the problem, aims of the research and the methods employed in achieving the purpose of the study. This includes a discussion of the population and sample used for the empirical research and an outline of the chapters. The second Chapter highlights on the nature of negotiation in general and in schools in particular. Explanation of the concept negotiation was given and terms closely related to negotiation were defined and all shown to be different from negotiation. Models of negotiation were identified, causes for negotiation were mentioned, effects of negotiation on school performance were discussed a:; well as approaches and attitudes to the use of negotiation in schools. In Chapter 3, the focus was on the context of negotiation and skills needed in successful negotiation in schools. The negotiation climate, elements of negotiation and legal aspects or basis of negotiation were discussed under the context of negotiation. Listening, timing, empathy, trust, questions, needs, patience, politeness, as well as other skills like stamina, tolerance, confidence were discussed as negotiation skills. Negotiation style and strategies were treated under skills needed in successful negotiation. The empirical research design, administrative procedures, population and the systematic sampling as well as statistical techniques were discussed in Chapter 4. The duly completed questionnaires returned by principals as respondents were empirically analysed and interpreted in this chapter. The last chapter, Chapter 5, throws light on the summary of all the chapters, research findings and recommendations based on the research findings derived from the previous chapters as well as a final remark. It was found that all the respondents recognize that listening is essential to any relationship and therefore listening was the most important negotiation skill practised by principals. Again, it was revealed from the empirical study that most principals do not succeed in building trust with learners by making wild promises. Principals therefore seldomly make wild promises to learners as a negotiation skill. Finally based on the research, a negotiation skill training programme for principals was recommended for future research. / Thesis (MEd)--PU for CHE, 1999

The research seeks to suggest the use of negotiations as a managerial task of the school principal with learners to eliminate or at least limit unrest practices like violence, intimidation of learners by principals and intimidation of principals by learners, suspicions, vandalism, strike actions and class boycotts which destroy and negate the culture of learning and teaching services. All these destructive practices, lead to poor production of matric results in schools in South Africa in general and in the North West Province in particular. The purpose of this study therefore was to determine by means of a review of literature and an empirical investigation, the nature of negotiations in schools and the skills needed by practising principals in the discharge of their management tasks. The empirical study was also aimed at determining the most important and the least important of the negotiation skills. Chapter 1 deals with the statement of the problem, aims of the research and the methods employed in achieving the purpose of the study. This includes a discussion of the population and sample used for the empirical research and an outline of the chapters. The second Chapter highlights on the nature of negotiation in general and in schools in particular. Explanation of the concept negotiation was given and terms closely related to negotiation were defined and all shown to be different from negotiation. Models of negotiation were identified, causes for negotiation were mentioned, effects of negotiation on school performance were discussed a:; well as approaches and attitudes to the use of negotiation in schools. In Chapter 3, the focus was on the context of negotiation and skills needed in successful negotiation in schools. The negotiation climate, elements of negotiation and legal aspects or basis of negotiation were discussed under the context of negotiation. Listening, timing, empathy, trust, questions, needs, patience, politeness, as well as other skills like stamina, tolerance, confidence were discussed as negotiation skills. Negotiation style and strategies were treated under skills needed in successful negotiation. The empirical research design, administrative procedures, population and the systematic sampling as well as statistical techniques were discussed in Chapter 4. The duly completed questionnaires returned by principals as respondents were empirically analysed and interpreted in this chapter. The last chapter, Chapter 5, throws light on the summary of all the chapters, research findings and recommendations based on the research findings derived from the previous chapters as well as a final remark. It was found that all the respondents recognize that listening is essential to any relationship and therefore listening was the most important negotiation skill practised by principals. Again, it was revealed from the empirical study that most principals do not succeed in building trust with learners by making wild promises. Principals therefore seldomly make wild promises to learners as a negotiation skill. Finally based on the research, a negotiation skill training programme for principals was recommended for future research. / Thesis (MEd)--PU for CHE, 1999