0.5 Roberts, k., & Sampson, p. (october 2011). a study of principal  (Page 5/6)

Summary and recommendations

The purpose of this study was to determine if principal’s leadership style was related to teacher job performance. The investigation focused on the relationship between leadership styles of principals and teacher job performance.

The teachers were asked to rate their own performance and with percentages and means calculated. Hypotheses 1 and 3 were supported and hypothesis 2 was partially supported. Teachers working under HC, HS principals perceive they perform better than teachers working under the other three leadership styles.

Teachers working under LC, HS principals perform better than teachers working under HC, LS principals while teachers working under HC, LS principals perform slightly better than teachers working under LC, LS principals. The difference between each successive style was modest but the difference between the HC,HS and LC, LS was great.

These findings indicate that both higher levels of structure and consideration were productive of superior job performance. A final observation is the LC,HS style was more highly associated with better job performance than the HC, LS style, thus partially reversing and rejecting hypothesis 2. This may indicate that organized structure and direction is of more importance that high consideration.

It is important for the principal to understand their faculty and utilize the most effective leadership style. One recommendation would be to determine the generational differences as different generations respond differently to a given leadership style. A second recommendation would be to lean to the side of human relations (consideration) but ever watchful. It seems that sometimes when the pressure is on that consideration takes a backseat. The principal needs to be aware of this so they don’t forget the consideration side of leadership. The third recommendation is for the principal to continually self-evaluate and reflect to old themselves accountable.

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