Date of Award

1993

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Education

Program

Higher Education Administration EdD

First Advisor

Edward A. Streeter

Second Advisor

Wilfred G. A. Futcher

Third Advisor

Bernard M. Lall

Abstract

Purpose. The purpose of this study was to examine any difference in the perceived staff satisfaction in both inner city and suburban elementary and secondary schools administrated by male or female Theory X- or Theory Y-oriented principals. Further, it was intended to determine if there was any reliability to the notion that the staff would rather be administered by male Theory X- than female Theory Y-oriented principals, working on the assumption that staff would prefer working in a school that was administered by Theory Y-oriented principals rather than by Theory-X oriented principals.

Differences were found between gender and administrator's style. It appeared that females tend to demonstrate a "Y" management style more than males. There was also a significant difference in staff satisfaction between female X- and Y-oriented principals in both inner-city schools and suburban schools. There was no significant difference in staff satisfaction between elementary and secondary schools when led by a male or female, X- orY-oriented principal. There was also no difference in satisfaction between a male and female in managing a school. However, there was a significant difference between staff satisfaction, X-management orientation, and a Y orientation. Staff satisfaction was significantly higher with a Y-oriented principal as opposed to an X-oriented principal whether or not the administrator was male or female.

In conclusion, staffs in elementary and secondary schools indicated a degree of dissatisfaction with the leadership of X-oriented principals. In general, it would seem that satisfaction was not related to the sex of the leadership or building level, only management orientation. The statistics did not reveal a significant difference in the satisfaction of female principals of suburban and inner-city schools. The satisfaction was highest with female Y principals in the inner-city schools. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)

Subject Area

Teacher-principal relationships, Elementary school principals--Chicago (Ill)

DOI

https://dx.doi.org/10.32597/dissertations/395/

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