مرکز منطقه ای اطلاع رساني علوم و فناوري - School Principals and Values in Decision Making Process

Abstract :

In the context of organizations, one of the processes in which values are expected to be effective is the decision making process. Decision making process exists in the center of administrative processes. Establishment an organizational structure that is based upon certain values and accomplishment of organizational goals can be seen as a result of a decision making process shaped these values. Values and decision making process are closely related; therefore it is very important to examine values that influence decision making process of principals. In this context, the main purpose of this study is to examine values that are effective on decision making process of principals with regard to the opinions of principals, vice-principals and teachers. The research designed as a qualitative study and it employed case study method. In order to determine study group of the research, criterion sampling method, which is one of the purposeful sampling methods, was used. The sample of study consists of 20 principals and vice-principals and 20 teachers, who work in primary and elementary school in 2013-2014 academic year. In collecting data, researchers prepared semi-structured interview form which included open-ended questions. In analyzing data, descriptive analysis method was used. This method helped to do quotations from interviews, to summarize and interpret data in line with the predefined themes. Findings indicate that opinions of principals, vice-principals and teachers, in terms of principal’s individual value classes and values that they base upon while making decisions, mostly coincide though they differentiate in some dimensions. Most of principals, vice-principals and teachers, who constitute working group, think that principals have Social-Organizational tendencies in the context of value classification.