The purpose of the study was to determine whether selected participants in collective bargaining between Indiana school boards and exclusive representative teacher organizations agree on selected elements as facilitators for reaching agreement.A list of 21 elements was identified through the cooperation of the Director of Mediation and Conciliation and six mediators of the Indiana Education Employment Relations Board. The 21 elements were included in a survey instrument with instructions asking that each element be rated on a five point Likert-type scale ranging from Critical Importance to No Importance.The survey instrument was sent to teacher and board team representatives in 72 Indiana reorganized school corporations. Half of the selected school corporations had not experienced impasse during the two-year period of time immediately preceding the study, and half ofthe selected school corporations had experienced impasse two or more times during the same time period.A two-way analysis of variance was used to test three null hypotheses for each of the 21 elements. The hypotheses were tested to determine if significant differences existed in responses by (1) team position, teacher or board, (2) impasse experience, multiple impasse or impasse absence school corporation, and (3) interaction of team position with impasse experience.Findings of the study support the following conclusions concerning impasse absence and multiple impasse reorganized school corporations in Indiana:1. Teacher and board representatives share common views concerning the importance of selected elements. A list of 13 such elements was identified.2. Negotiation participants in impasse absence and multiple impasse school corporations share common views concerning the importance of selected elements. A list of 15 such elements was identified.3. The relationship of perceptions of teacher and board representatives from impasse absence school corporations do not differ from the relationship of perceptions of teacher and board representatives from multiple impasse school corporations on selected elements. A list of 19 such elements was identified.Nine elements having no team position, impasse experience, or interaction differences were identified. All respondent groups attached at least Moderate Importance to 20 of the 21 elements, with one group of teacher representatives rating one element between Little Importance and Moderate Importance.Application of the findings were extended for observations beyond the scope of the original research. The following represent a few such observations:Collective bargaining participants in some school corporations could improve the local collective bargaining climate by recognizing the importance of elements identified in the study. Elements perceived differently by respective groups and elements of common agreement can identify areas for consideration.Elements viewed as important by participants regardless of team position or impasse experience should be carefully examined at the school corporation level. An attempt should be made to utilize the elements, where applicable, to expedite the completion of a satisfactory agreement.Differences in perception associated with impasse experience may identify areas of critical importance to the peaceful resolution of negotiations. Six such areas were identified in the study.Differences in perception between teacher and board representatives should be recognized and considered to facilitate agreement. Eight such perception differences were identified in the study.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:BSU/oai:cardinalscholar.bsu.edu:handle/176934 |
| Date | 03 June 2011 |
| Creators | Huff, Robert Eugene |
| Contributors | Patton, Don C. |
| Source Sets | Ball State University |
| Detected Language | English |
| Format | vii, 127 leaves : ill. ; 28 cm. |
| Source | Virtual Press |
| Coverage | n-us-in |
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