Conflict resolution between principals and teachers in elementary schools.

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to test the Likerts' (1976) system 4T conflict resolution theory in an elementary school setting to assess its potential to explain constructive conflict resolution, and to test an extension to the theory based on the Graen and Cashman (1975) Leader-Member Exchange model. The study focused on teachers' perceptions of their principals' ability to constructively manage conflict. A Likert-type survey questionnaire was administered to 216 elementary school teachers from eastern Ontario and Quebec to assess their perceptions of the following variables: system 4T conflict resolution style, help with work, performance goals, technical competence, school effectiveness, satisfaction with problem solving, and loyalty to the principal. Constructive conflict resolution, a latent variable, was measured by school effectiveness, satisfaction with problem solving, and loyalty to the principal. For the extension of the theory, help with work was used as an indicator of in-group/out-group membership. Structural equation modeling and Lisrel VI (Joreskog & Sorbom, 1984) were used to analyze the two models which represented the system 4T conflict resolution theory and the extension to the theory. Three hypotheses were tested: Hypothesis one. The closer teachers' perceptions of the principals' conflict resolution behavior are to system 4T; and the higher the level of performance goals, help with work, and technical competence, the greater the level of constructive conflict resolution perceived by those teachers. Hypothesis two. Group membership, as measured by help with work, will be related to principals' system 4T conflict resolution behavior. Hypothesis three. Group membership, as measured by help with work, will be related to constructive conflict resolution. The following results were obtained from this study: (1) the Likerts' system 4T theory holds, however it may be overspecified requiring only the system 4T conflict resolution style factor and the technical competence factor; (2) constructive conflict resolution is not unidimensional; (3) perceptions of system 4T conflict resolution behavior have an effect on the satisfaction and loyalty dimensions of constructive conflict resolution more than the effectiveness dimension; (4) the group membership effect exists in educational settings; (5) group membership has an effect on teachers' perceptions of principals' conflict resolution behavior; and (6) group membership has an effect on teachers' perceptions of constructive conflict resolution.