Examining the relation between principals' decision-making styles and productivity in high schools of Lamerd city
Abolfazl Abbasi
M.A Student Educational administration, shiraz university, and Employee Education, Larestan. Iran
Doctor Sayed Ahmad Hashemi
PhD, Islamic Azad University, Lamerd Branch, , Iran Hmd_hashemi@yahoo.com
Mohammad Gholami
Faculty member of Islamic Azad University Bndar Lenge – Iran
Seddiqeh Abedi
Master student of Industrial Management, Islamic Azad University Shiraz
A.Abolfazl1369@yahoo.com
Abstract:
This study is to examine the relation between principals' decision-making styles and productivity in high schools of Lamerd city in 2012-2013 so 98 principals and assistant superintendents of the high schools were assessed. The measurement device was Stephen Robins decision styles including four types of analytic, conceptual, behavioural and directive decisions and related questionnaire included 24 questions invented by Robins (2005) and the principals divided in four stratums and finally the reliability was defined 0.83 by Cronbach alpha. Also the Smith's et al. (1988) productivity questionnaire was used defined the validity 0.89 after translation. The data were analyzed by multiple regression method to define the effect of each style on the productivity. The findings indicated there is significant and positive relation between the decision styles and productivity; also the conceptual decision style has more effect on the schools' productivity than other styles and the behavioural, analytic and directive ones have less effect on the principals, respectively.
Keywords: Decision – making style, productivity, high schools of Lamerd city.
Introduction:
Nowadays everybody knows the importance of productivity and necessity to examine it because of vast competitions, technologic complexity, varied tastes, rare sources and data exchange rapidity. Despite productivity is important in macro and micro levels it is not clear to many managers who often restrict it to their subjective viewpoints. As Sink stated, "Although productivity is the most frequent subject in present management sessions unfortunately its concept has been understood less than other subjects" (Alvani & Ahmadi, 2001). In fact, stable productivity, innovation and life quality are of the most important goals followed by governments and organizations. When one is to achieve one of these goals another one appears. So these goals form a set of interdependent goals. The sources should be benefited optimally, efficiency or effectiveness are necessary in order to achieve productivity (Shariatmadari, 2005: 35). In addition, some experts such as Allen and Meyer (1991), Klarsfeld (2009), Bogart (2005) and Bohmen (2006) also believe that the productivity includes effectiveness and efficiency. Productivity is one of the factors guaranteeing the survival of the organizations in actual competitive world. If the productivity culture becomes dominant, all organizational spiritual and material potentials are used optimally and the organizational potential creative human resources and talents flourish permanently with maximum productivity to achieve the organizational goals without adding new technology or manpower. Optimal productivity is not realized by changing the structures, adding technologies or compiling and issuing agendas and circular letters but by taking into consideration human as the source of all personal, social and organizational productivities(Henry et al, 2010). So as a strategy the productivity improvement specially in higher education system undergoing rapid environmental changes should be taken into consideration more.
Lambert (2004) believes that many factors affect the organizational productivity such as powerful and efficient manpower. In fact, manpower is the an essential component of organizational activities productivity that requires behavioral and social development in all aspects.
Having reviewed the experts' works concerning administration it became obvious that decision making is very close to administration and sometimes they are the same; in line with this he considers administration as a process to make decision in order to achieve favorably organizational goals through using effectively rare sources in a changing environment (Irannezhad, 2001).
Kuntz (2000) believes design, program and policy depends on decision making. Mandi et al. (1991) believe the skill to decide is the most important factor distinguishing an ordinary manager from a competent one. Generally it can be said the programs are defined by the central board. In recent years many studies done regarding decision making and different paradigms and stratifications were proposed by related experts (Oliviera,2007). The difference between the stratifications is because each one considers different personal, organizational and environmental factors effective on people's behaviour during making decision (Tatem, 2003).
So the managers' styles to make decision are factors effective on productivity at high schools and should be taken into consideration. Some studies which have been done about such effectiveness are as follows:
In his study entitled, "Manager's decision making styles and employees' occupational satisfaction in Tehran hospitals" Dehpashi (2006) indicated in the hospitals where the managers decide more personally the employees' occupational satisfaction had been lower.
Having used MAT device and Hui's and Mixel's hybrid approach Chikin (1993) found a significant relationship between the teachers' morale and principals' styles and the effectiveness of the school.
Also Singh (2004) conducted a study and concluded that personnel's cooperation with making decisions is necessary to achieve the staff's commitment to their duties, occupational satisfaction and more productivity.
Also Broox (2006) indicated cooperation has relation with making decision and nurses' relationship skills namely the nurses who had played some role in making decision behaved better towards patients.
Damier (2007) found in his studies concerning the graduated from Air Force ones who had played some role in making decisions were healthier mentally than others and their personality scores were higher than others, too.
اسپل : وروم ویتون ؟
Gingrich (2001) used Vrom Vaton in his research and concluded that the managers who had cooperative style were more successful in gaining the skills necessary to direct organization and define their employees' duties.
So this study is to examine the relation between the principals' decision making style and productivity in Lamerd high schools in order to offer applicable mechanisms.
The study questions:
1 – Is there significant relation between principals' analytic decision making style and productivity?
2 - Is there significant relation between principals' conceptual decision making style and productivity?
3 - Is there significant relation between principals' behavioural decision making style and productivity?
4 - Is there significant relation between principals' directive decision making style and productivity?
Methodology:
The study method is descriptive-correlative and the relations between the variables are analyzed based on the study goal. The questions are analyzed by Pearson correlation coefficient and multiple regression equations.
The universe is the principals of Lamerd high schools who are 98 ones sampled by census method.
The devices to collect related data for the study are as follows:
1 - Robins decision making style criterion including 24 items to measure four decision making styles; this style has been used several times and its reliability and validity have been confirmed. Also in this study its reliability was assessed 0.83.
2 - Smith's et al. (1998) questionnaire was used to measure the productivity to assess efficiency and effectiveness. Also in this study its reliability was assessed 0.89.
Study findings:
1 – Is there significant relation between principals' analytic decision making style and productivity at schools?
Pearson correlation coefficient was used to define the relation between principals' analytic decision making style and productivity at schools.
Table 4: Correlation coefficient between principals' analytic decision making style and productivity at schools:
In above table the correlation coefficient is 0.68 between principals' analytic decision making style and productivity at schools indicating the significant rate is 0.0001.
2 - Is there significant relation between principals' conceptual decision making style and productivity at schools?
Pearson correlation coefficient was used to define the relation between principals' conceptual decision making style and productivity at schools.
Table 5: Correlation coefficient between principals' conceptual decision making style and productivity at schools:
In above table the correlation coefficient is 0.54 between principals' conceptual decision making style and productivity at schools indicating the significant relation is less than 0.05.
3 - Is there significant relation between principals' behavioural decision making style and productivity at schools?
Pearson correlation coefficient was used to define the relation between principals' behavioural decision making style and productivity at schools.
Table 6: Correlation coefficient between principals' behavioural decision making style and productivity at schools:
In above table the correlation coefficient is 0.58 between principals' behavioural decision making style and productivity at schools indicating the positive and significant relation is less than 0.05.
4 - Is there significant relation between principals' directive decision making style and productivity at schools?
Pearson correlation coefficient was used to define the relation between principals' directive decision making style and productivity at schools.
Table 7: Correlation coefficient between principals' directive decision making style and productivity at schools:
In above table the correlation coefficient is 0.19 between principals' directive decision making style and productivity at schools indicating there is no significant relation.
Discussion and conclusion:
Generally this study was to examine the relation between decision making styles and productivity at Lamerd schools and the findings indicated :
Having analyzed the findings from first question it became clear that there is significant relation between decision making analytic style and productivity at schools. Such findings were in accord with Dehpashi's (2001 & 2003) who examined cooperative decision making style and concluded that the mentioned style improves decisions and increases employees' satisfaction.
In relation to the second question to define the relation between decision making styles and productivity at schools the data indicated there is significant relation between decision making conceptual style and productivity at schools namely if the principals desire to increase the schools' productivity, they should pay attention to the style to make decisions; as Robins (2010) said the principals who apply this style are very open minded and take into consideration many solutions; they consider long – term projects and are highly innovative and creative to find solutions. Such findings are in accord with Najafaghaei's (2002), Irannezhad (1999) and Damier (2007) who examined managers' and employees' personal features and organizational internal and external factors and indicated that these cases influence the decision type and style.
The findings related to third question indicate significant the relation between decision making behavioural style and productivity at schools; the principals who have behavioural style in decision making cooperate with others, always take into consideration others' and colleagues' achievements, accept well the offers and pay attention to the results of councils and seminars; such manager tries to avoid conflicting thoughts and accepts others' views (Robins, 2010).
In relation to fourth question the study findings indicate there is no significant relation between decision making directive style and productivity at schools. Ones who use this style are not tolerant towards ambiguous information and always search for reasonable decisions. Such people pay more attention to efficiency and work rapidly and usually consider short – term projects (Robins, 2010). Such findings were in accord with Dehpashi's (2006) whose study entitled 'Mangers' Decision Making Styles and Employees' Occupational Satisfaction in Tehran Hospitals' indicating if most decisions are taken personally in the hospitals, the occupational satisfaction is low, but the occupational satisfaction has been in higher rates in other styles.
كلام اول 
موضوع: مقالات چاپ شده در مجلات خارجي ISC
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تاريخ: 13 مرداد 1393
بازديدها: 1268
