A STUDY OF LEADERSHIP
BEHAVIOR AND EFFECTIVENESS OF SECONDARY SCHOOL HEADS IN
Abstract This study sought to establish relationship among secondary school heads' leadership behaviors, their attributes, situational context, and school heads' leadership effectiveness in relation to accomplish goals of secondary education desired in National Education Policies of Pakistan. Personal and situational factors such as task-oriented behavior, relations-oriented behavior, age, management experience, professional training, management courses, school location, students' enrollment, staff strength, students' performance, performance distribution, and physical environment were analyzed through twenty-six hypotheses to assess their contribution in explaining school heads' leadership effectiveness. Using sample survey through mailed instruments for ex-post-facto research, data regarding attributes and situational factors were collected from 121 secondary school heads by sending them Demographic Variables Information Proforma (DVIP). Management Behavior Dimensions Questionnaire (MBDQ) and School Management Effectiveness Questionnaire (SMEQ) were administered to 482 secondary school teachers to obtain perception about their school heads' leadership behaviors and effectiveness. Parametric statistical techniques were used to analyze the data. The key conclusions based on descriptive and statistical evidences of this study indicate that school heads emphasize task and place less emphasis on relationship. A high level of relations-orientation than the task-orientation on the part of school heads affects students’ academic outcome in favorable direction. The veteran school heads show noncommittal, they stand low on both the task and relations-oriented behaviors. Resultantly, prove themselves ineffective school heads. In addition, this study describes that professional qualification and training in management are more supportive of relations-oriented behavior than their support of task-oriented behavior.
A Study of Leadership Behavior and
Effectiveness
of Secondary School Heads in
Man's
activities are usually conducted within the framework of some sort of
organization and, in such organizations, there are
persons who are recognized as the leaders. The leadership behavior of these
individuals is universally seen as an important determinant of human
productivity. If we can understand the selection and training of formal
leaders, we can begin to take adaptive steps toward controlling our own social
fate.
A group never
reaches the heights of achievement because it lacks leadership. Anderson et al.
(1972) purport that the quality of accomplishment of any organization is
related to the nature of its leadership, and education is no exception.
Campbell and his associates (1983) consider leadership as the solution to all
problems. But leadership cannot exist without followers. Gaining the commitment
and cooperation of others is the central problem of leadership.
It is the followers who select their own leaders.
Whitaker (1993) has mentioned that leadership is behavior that enables and
assists others to achieve planned goals. In educational scenario leadership,
however, is considered to be a behavioral process through which an individual
(school head as the leader) secures the cooperation of others (subordinates as
followers) toward goal of school effectiveness.
Schools are currently undergoing a period of
upheaval and change as they adapt to new requirements and altered
circumstances. This phase of rapid and accelerating change is a characteristic
of organizational life as we move towards the twenty-first century and it
presents novel and unprecedented challenges to those charged with management of
public (government) schools.
Our government schools educate a greater number of
youth. But more than 50% of the students at 1st level (primary) never complete
2nd level (secondary). National Education Policy-92 estimates 11,500,000 enrollment at primary education dropped to 4,750,000 at
Secondary education which reflects 58.7% children went out of the walls of the
school. The Public to Private sector ratio has been estimated at 70:30 and this
trend continues.
The World Bank (1991) reports that in education sector teachers are often poorly motivated and lacks good management skills (Report No.9887-PAK). Federal Public Service Commission Report on Education (1994) is also not satisfactory. The contingency view, therefore, shows that public education through public schools is at risk. If this trend continues, public education certainly will pay the price of an un-educated citizenry. So, the situation speaks of the complexity of the challenges for educational practitioners.
Despite the acknowledged importance placed upon
school heads' leadership behavior, their attributes, and situational context of
the schools in explaining school heads' leadership effectiveness, relatively
little attention has been devoted to scientific study for establishing
relationship among these factors until very recent years in
It has become increasingly apparent that researchers
must involve teachers to perceive how their school head actually behave while
managing the things as an educational leader, and how they stimulate
environmental robustness of the school.
It is school, like all other organizations, where
the leadership is defined and exercised. The school head's immediate
interaction is with the school faculty. As teachers work daily with them,
therefore, teachers are the best evaluators of their school head's behavior
dimensions and school effectiveness toward achieving planned goals of secondary
education as these are entrusted to school heads in the National Education
Policies.
Need for the Study
It is a concrete fact that effective management is a symbol of effective education. School head is an important component of our educational system and his behavior is one of the basic stimulant to make the system more effective.
Traditionally, leaders' behavior are gauged using instruments by themselves, this research, however, allows the teachers to assess the behavior dimensions of their heads. Where teachers are helped to play a full and active part in research activities, we, therefore, are likely to help professionals to diagnose situations more accurately so as to deal with contingency view more effectively.
The results of the study will enable us to have
evidence about the knowledge of a school head in the area of organizational
behavior. School heads are expected to be conversant about how school as an
organization works internally and how interpersonal relations are inevitable
for school effectiveness.
No doubt, some grave bottlenecks ailing education in
The results of the research will mean something to
the practicing educators. The research may set a stage for deciding on
alternative courses of action for improving education through school heads as
they are considered first line leaders. It is possible by introducing training
for them in managing school as an organization and its development for school
effectiveness.
Statement of the Problem
The problem of the study was to explore and describe
relationship if it exists between secondary school heads' leadership behavior,
attributes, situational factors, and leadership effectiveness in relation to
accomplish planned goals of secondary education.
Purpose of the Study
This research underlined the following purposes, namely:
1. To investigate the leadership behavior
dimensions of school heads as these are perceived by their own subordinates
(teachers).
2. To establish interrelationship of variables
of leadership behavior from which generalization about effective school heads
may be possible once we specify the appropriate situational and attribute
context.
3. To find out the relationship between leadership behavior dimensions and endeavor to achieve goals of National Education Policies through secondary education as these are entrusted to school heads.
Research
Design and Procedures
The purpose of this study was to establish
relationship between leadership behavior of school heads, demographics
(attributes and situational factors), and leadership effectiveness in terms of
attaining goals of secondary education as these goals are mentioned in various
National Education Policies. The study, therefore, was designed to collect and
analyze data to find out relationship between the variables.
The variables of this study were: (1) task-oriented
behavior of school heads, (2) relations-oriented behavior, (3) school head's
age in months, (4) experience in management in months, (5) professional
training; having degree in the subject of education, (6) students' enrollment,
(7) strength of teaching staff, (8) students' performance in terms of secondary
school results for the year 1991 through 1993, (9) performance distribution
showing number of 1st, 2nd, 3rd divisions, (10) courses in management attended
by the school head, (11) physical environments; congested or open, (12)
location of the school; urban or rural, and (13) leadership effectiveness in
terms of attaining goals of secondary education.
The relationship between the aforementioned
variables was confirmed through testing of the null hypotheses.
Conceptual
Framework of Management Behavior Dimensions Questionnaire
Analysis of the Data
Since the problem of the study was to establish relationship between leadership behavior dimensions of secondary (High) school heads, their attributes, situational factors (predictors) and school heads' leadership effectiveness (criterion), therefore, the analysis of data is presented in four sections.
Section 1 is entitled participation rates and school heads' attributes. It comprises: (1)
age, (2) experience as school head, (3) professional training, and (4) courses
in management attended. Rate of response to the research instruments (DVIP,
MBDQ, SMEQ) by the respondents (school heads and
teachers) has also been included in section 1. This part, however, was dealt in
the beginning of section 1.
Section 2 is named situational factors. This section consists of: (1) school location;
rural or urban, (2) students' enrollment, (3) staff strength, (4) students'
performance, (5) performance distribution, and (6) physical environments;
congested or open. The data regarding attributes and situational factors were
collected through Demographic Variables Information Proforma
(DVIP). The proforma was mailed to the school heads
to collect data about demographic variables (attributes and situational
factors).
Section 3 is entitled leadership behavior dimensions and effectiveness. It constitutes:
(1) task-oriented behavior, (2) relations-oriented behavior, and (3) school
heads' leadership effectiveness. MBDQ and SMEQ were used for collection of the
data about such variables. These two questionnaires were sent to the teachers
(subordinates).
Section 4 deals with testing of the null hypotheses and includes the data to ascertain
the direction (correlation coefficient), strength (R-squared), and percentage
of common variance (Vco) of relationship if exists,
at certain significance levels, between leadership behavior of school heads as
perceived by the teachers, demographic variables, and school leadership
effectiveness in relation to accomplishing planned goals of secondary
education.
Summary,
Findings, Conclusions, Discussion,
and Recommendations
The findings of the present study were intended to serve some broad purposes of exploratory description of secondary school heads' leadership behaviors, their attributes, situational factors, and leadership effectiveness. One broad purpose was to make generalizations on the basis of the descriptive data. These generalizations were to take the form of testable hypotheses. In the following sections of the present chapter this purpose has been served to some extent as explained therein.
Conclusions drawn from descriptive evidence. The following conclusions
are based on the findings derived from the descriptive data (attributes and
situational factors) of the study.
1. The secondary school heads who are below 40
and over 50 years age indicate low leadership
effectiveness than the other school heads.
2. The secondary school heads in their forties
possessing around ten years of management experience may be keen and committed
than the other veteran school heads for attaining goals of secondary education
set in National Educational Policies.
3. Years of education and training in management
promote quality of school heads in terms of achieving goals of secondary
education entrusted to them.
4. Nearly 70 percent of the secondary school
heads are either not offered training courses or are not given chance for
master degree programs in education from selection to retirement stage.
5. Training courses with short duration which
the secondary school heads undergo cannot enhance leadership effectiveness.
6. The secondary school heads that possess the
master degree in education frequently indicate effective leadership than those
attaining other education degrees.
7. The secondary school head's leadership
effectiveness does not vary markedly no matter where school is located (rural
or urban) and what physical environments (congested or open) prevail.
8. Secondary school heads in small schools are
more effective leaders than their counterparts in medium and large sized
secondary schools.
9. The prevailing demographic context of the
secondary education are generally not supportive to
enhance students' medium to high performance.
10. The leadership effectiveness among secondary
school heads can be specifically determined from their age, management
experience, qualification, training in management and size of the school.
11. The generally accepted
criteria in regard to the selection, functions, and effective utilization of
secondary school heads may be established through this study of demographics
(attributes & situational factors) already outweighing in our educational
scenario.
Conclusions
drawn from statistical findings of this study are given below:
1. The secondary school heads' task-oriented and relations-oriented behavior dimensions are not independent of each other. They are dependent in that one dimension of behavior affects the other. It is also reasonable to conclude that the secondary school heads' behaviors are not exclusively either task-oriented or relations-oriented.
Summary: Testing of Null Hypotheses
|
Ho Relationship Direction Value Decision |
1. Task-Relations Positive Significant Rejected
2. Task-Effectiveness Positive Significant Rejected
3. Relations-Effectiveness Positive Significant Rejected
4. Age-Task Negative Nonsignificant Accepted
5. Age-Relations Negative Nonsignificant Accepted
6. Age-Effectiveness Negative Nonsignificant Accepted
7. Experience-Task Negative Significant Rejected
8. Experience-Relations Negative Significant Rejected
9. Experience-Effectiveness
Negative Significant Rejected
10. Training-Task Positive Nonsignificant Accepted
11. Training-Relations Positive Significant Rejected
12. Training-Effectiveness Positive Nonsignificant Accepted
13. Courses-Task Positive Nonsignificant Accepted
14. Courses-Relations Positive Significant Rejected
15. Courses-Effectiveness Positive Nonsignificant Accepted
16. Enrollment-Effectiveness Negative Nonsignificant Accepted
17. Staff-Effectiveness Negative Nonsignificant Accepted
18. Task-Performance Positive Nonsignificant Accepted
19. Relations-Performance Positive Significant Rejected
20. Location-Effectiveness Positive Nonsignificant Accepted
21. Environment-Effectiveness Positive Nonsignificant Accepted
22. Attributes-Effectiveness Positive Significant Rejected
23. Situation-Effectiveness Positive Nonsignificant Accepted
24. Attributes+Behaviors-Effectiveness Positive Significant Rejected
25. Situation+Behaviors-Effectiveness Positive Significant Rejected
26. Attributes+Situation+Behaviors- Positive Significant Reected
Effectiveness
Notes. Total null hypotheses: 26; positive 18; positive significant 10; negative 8; negative significant 4; significant 14; nonsignificant 12; rejected 14; accepted 12.
2. The both, task-oriented and
relations-oriented behavior dimensions of school heads relate directly to their
leadership effectiveness. The evidence of this study also suggests that the
high task-oriented and high relations-oriented behaviors of Public (Government)
secondary school heads are optimal for high leadership effectiveness.
3. The highest degree of relationship is the one
between task-oriented behavior and leadership effectiveness. For higher
leadership effectiveness of secondary school heads, the task-oriented behavior
pattern appears to be slightly stronger variable. But the relations-oriented
behavior also stands-out for leadership effectiveness.
4. The direct effect of secondary school heads'
age on task-oriented, relations-oriented behaviors,
and overall leadership effectiveness is negative. The older the secondary
school heads, as the subordinates perceived, the greater the adverse effect on
the fulfillment of their role for attaining goals of secondary education. The
findings of this study also conclude that the secondary school heads' age
affect task-oriented behavior more adversely than the relations-oriented
behavior.
5. The veteran secondary school heads are
perceived by their subordinates low on both the task and relations-oriented
behaviors to lead effectively than the novice school heads. Moreover, the
greater experience secondary school heads have, the less relations-oriented
they are.
6. The professional qualification and training
in management for practicing secondary school heads are intended to foster
positive changes in both the patterns of behaviors (task & relations). The
findings of this study also suggest that more qualified are believed more
effective school heads than their less qualified counterparts.
7. The year of professional qualification and
training in management are supportive of relations-oriented behavior than their
support of task-oriented behavior. It is also clear from the evidence that
better professional qualification and training in management can change
secondary school heads' behaviors to lead effectively.
8. As the size of the students' enrollment and
teaching staff increases so loses the school head effective leadership.
Moreover, in large secondary schools it seems relatively difficult to get all
the subordinates together for attaining goals of secondary education.
Consequently, they are less effective school heads.
9. In large secondary schools, possibly, school
heads provide decreased opportunity for interacting, support, and encouragement
to each subordinate necessary for maintaining their effective leadership.
Moreover, the effect of size of the secondary school on subordinates, to
project their school heads to be effective leaders, are not indifferent to each
other.
10. The secondary school heads' task-oriented and
relations-oriented behaviors have positive influence in relation to secondary
school students' academic performance. A high level of relations-orientation
than the task-orientation on the part of school heads can affect students'
performance in a favorable direction.
11. The secondary school heads do not differ in their leadership effectiveness no matter school is urban or rural, in congested or open physical environments. Moreover, it may also be concluded from the evidence that the subordinates in these settings generally agree to a great extent in the way they perceive their school heads' leadership effectiveness.
12. If task and relations-oriented behaviors are singled-out, then the collective contribution of selected attributes stand-out moderately whereas the situational influences proved nonsignificant for predicting school heads' leadership effectiveness. It also seems reasonable to conclude that one cannot merely lean on attributes and situational factors for predicting leadership effectiveness.
13. In predicting the secondary school heads'
leadership effectiveness, when task and relations-oriented behaviors
collaborate with attributes and situational predictors, task-oriented and
relations-oriented behaviors appear to contribute maximally. Moreover, the
task-oriented behavior subscribes more than the relations-oriented behavior. It
also seems therefore reasonable to conclude that secondary school heads
emphasize task and place less emphasis on relationship.
This study examined the relationships between secondary school heads' leadership behaviors, their attributes, situational contingencies, and the effect of these factors on school heads' leadership effectiveness to accomplish goals of secondary education. In an intensive study of the present kind it is hard to discuss all of the findings because there are so many. The following discussion of some selected findings is based on the subjective judgment of the researcher about what he thought were some of the more important findings.
The judgment of school teachers (subordinates) about
their school heads' leadership patterns is high both in task-oriented and
relations-oriented behaviors and they (school heads) are perceived effective in
relation to attaining goals set for secondary education. This research
consistently indicates that secondary school heads perform task-oriented and
relations-oriented acts frequently to achieve the goals for which his position
is responsible. This study affirms that a secondary school head who has high scores on these two dimensions (task &
relations) is given the best evaluation by his subordinate.
The research evidence seems to support Brown's (1967), Halpin's (1966), Leverette's (1984), and Zaidi's (1989) contentions that both initiating structure (task) and consideration (relations) are important behaviors for educational leaders. The current study also suggests that the secondary school heads' behaviors are not exclusively either task-oriented or relations-oriented. It means no school head can be solely task-oriented or solely relations-oriented and these two behavior dimensions do not remain isolated rather interact with one another but not necessarily equally as they (school heads) work with school teachers (subordinates).
This study supports the researches in the area
leadership behavior and effectiveness those indicate that both (task &
relations) behavior dimensions relate directly to leadership effectiveness
(Fleishman & Simmons, 1970; Halpin, 1966; House,
1971; Likert, 1961; Stogdill,
1974; Wagner & Gooding, 1987). Like the strong relationship between these
two basic dimensions, the effectiveness dimension of leadership is also
associated continuously with task and relations-oriented behaviors. Therefore,
the effectiveness-orientation may be a separate dimension, although it is not
itself unidimensional because various goals set for
secondary education constitute the effectiveness. It does not mean to imply
that effectiveness-orientation is the only important factor besides the
traditional two (task & relations) behavior orientations. But it is
established that the evidence of this study could not be explained with only
the two traditional leadership behaviors.
The evidence gathered in this study shows that the task-oriented behavior pattern proved stronger predictor than the relations-oriented behavior in describing secondary school heads' leadership effectiveness. It appears that school heads emphasize task and place less emphasis on relationship. The present study also indicates that the school heads to lead effectively inform their subordinates more about the elements of task-oriented dimension (instructions & orders, planning, goals & feedback, controlling) than exhibiting relations-orientations (consideration of feelings, mutual trust, respect for teachers, participation). This study, however, disagrees with Evenson (1959), Halpin (1955), Levine (1990), Lipham (1981), and Newmann (1989), who all found that school heads generally value consideration (relations-orientation) more highly than structure (task-orientation). Furthermore, diverse results of this study may be varied due to different situational contingencies and group dimensions. Yet these environmental factors have an important impact on school heads' leadership behaviors.
In addition, this study reveals that those secondary school heads who held task-orientation experienced greater effectiveness and were less relations-oriented toward their subordinates. Moreover, task-oriented behavior has proved as school heads' effective pattern to be followed to lead effectively in their respective schools. This evidence has some policy implications for school heads. For instance, should school heads stress task and place less emphasis on relationship for becoming effective secondary school heads?
Fraser (1986), Lipham (1981), Macpherson (1993), Richardson and Skinner (1990), and Rosenholtz (1989), affirm that effective educational leaders perform a balancing act, with a high concern for both task accomplishments and cohesive social relation. This study, therefore, purposes that a balance of both high instrumental norms (task-orientation) and emotionally supportive human relationships (relations-orientation) can create a positive climate to allow for the achievement of educational goals.
Hersey and Blanchard (1977) caution as it is evident from this study as well that when the maturity level of followers (school teachers) is low, the effective leadership style will emphasize task and place less emphasis on relationship. But growth (increased maturity) is possible. They purport training programs intended to develop the capacity to lead effectively. Therefore, the recognition of relations-oriented dimension has significant relevance to the human-relations training and evaluation of secondary school heads. This research calls for a shift from traditional content-oriented training of practising or prospective school heads and teachers to development of process-oriented competence in interpersonal relations.
Clearly, this study also suggests that a high level of relations-orientation than the task-orientation on the part of school heads can affect students' academic outcome in favorable direction. Alike the evidence of this study, Dwyer (1984), Levine (1990), and Lipham (1981), have been strong proponents that human relations training should become an integral part of the training of school heads in Teacher Training Centers. Apparently, the emphasis of current literature in the area on relations-orientation is certain to become even stronger in the future than it is now for enhancing students' academic performance.
This study notes that the veteran secondary school heads are low on the task, relations-oriented behavior, and leadership effectiveness than the novices. Moreover, the correlational analysis indicated age and experience are negatively related to both the behavior dimensions. Bridge (1979), Coleman (1986), Hanushek (1971), and Sarason (1971), reported similar results to this evidence. There may be a number of reasons exist in our educational scenario for such alarming findings of this research. One possible rationale may be that older and younger secondary school heads differ in their needs and professional aspirations. Probably, the needs and aspirations of veterans are not fulfilled in the prevalent job situation. Moreover, motivational framework is yet to be evolved to keep the school heads' job attitude positive. Therefore, veteran school heads show noncommittal, thus, they stand low on both the task and relations-oriented behaviors, resultantly, prove themselves ineffective school heads.
The findings of this study support the researches in the area of effective schools, specifically, the difference between school heads' level of professional qualification and management training. For example, Havard's (1992), Lord and Hall's (1992), Macpherson's (1993), and Purkey and Smith's (1982), work identified that professional qualification and training distinguish effective school heads from their less effective counterparts. It appears, then, that qualification as well as training affect the school heads in structuring tasks and interpersonal relations. This study also affirms that school heads' professional qualification and their training in management foster positive changes in both the patterns of behaviors (task & relations). In addition, this study evidenced that professional qualification and management training are more supportive of relations-oriented behavior than their support of task-oriented behavior.
On the other hand, this research brings out the challenging evidence that any opportunity not usually found to more than seventy percent secondary school heads throughout the career for enhancing their professional qualification and appropriate training in management. It appears that Education Department contributes nothing for incumbents' professional development even from selection to one's retirement. Obviously, how dogmatic attitudes of secondary school heads can be minimized when they are not provided the key facilitators (qualification & management training) to influence their both task and relations-oriented behaviors inevitably required for effective secondary school heads.
Given the findings in this study, a relatively straightforward profile of school teachers' perception of an effective secondary school head emerges. An effective secondary school head is one who possesses better professional qualification, is well trained in management, interacts with manageable group, is not veteran, and no matter whether he serves in urban or periphery. Above all, he directs his own and subordinates' efforts toward goals attainment and to have highly personal job relationships.
Acceptance:
This doctoral degree
dissertation was accepted on October 14, 1995 by the faculty of Institute of
Education and Research, University of the Punjab, Quaid-e-Azam
Campus, Lahore, Pakistan, in partial fulfillment of the
requirements for the
degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Education, majored in management. The
research advisors of this study were: Professor Dr. Nayyar
Raza Zaidi (Chairman),
Professor Dr. Mushtaq-ur-Rehman Siddiqui
(Member), Professor Dr. Zulfiqar Ali Khan (Member),
and Professor Dr. Muhammad Rafi (Consultant).
Published: School
Organization & Management Abstracts.
(1998). 17(4), 980/455,