Year

1995

Paper Type

Doctoral Dissertation

College

College of Education and Human Services

Degree Name

Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership (EdD)

Department

Education

First Advisor

Dr. Katherine M. Kasten

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to collect and interpret base-line data concerning the organizational culture and climate of selected elementary and secondary schools. The sample consisted of 20 parochial schools, 10 elementary and 10 secondary, in the mideast section of the United states. The study focused on three specific questions: 1) What are the cultural values of parochial schools, 2) What is the organizational climate of parochial schools, and 3) Do the cultural values and climate characteristics of parochial elementary schools differ from those of parochial secondary schools? Nelson's (1990) Cultural Value Analysis Tool (CVAT) was used to gather organizational culture data. Hoy, Tarter and Kottkamp's revised Organization Climate Description Questionnaire (OCDQ) was used to gather organizational climate data.

Analysis of data on the 419 responses included the following: 1) One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) on real and ideal means of the sixteen cultural dimensions across the elementary and secondary schools individually, 2) One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) on the real means of the sixteen dimensions comparing the elementary and secondary schools, and 3) confidence intervals on the principal and teacher behaviors of the OCDQ as compared to the norm group of Hoy, Tarter, and Kottkamp.

Significant differences between ideal and real means were found on dimensions of effort, status, and flexibility for the elementary schools (p < .05). Significant differences between the ideal and real means were found on dimensions of effort, time, quality, empathy, dominance, status, political, abstract, planning/organization, and flexibility (p < .05) for the secondary schools. The one-way analysis of variance conducted on the descriptive mean scores of the 16 dimensions of the CVAT showed no statistical difference between elementary and secondary level schools.

Confidence intervals indicated that parochial elementary principals are more supportive, less restrictive, and as directive as the principals in the norm group. Parochial elementary teachers were more collegial, less disengaged, and as intimate in their behaviors as the teachers in the norm group.

Confidence intervals formed from the mean scores on the OCDQ-RS indicated that parochial secondary principals were more supportive and as directive as the principals in the norm group. Parochial secondary teachers were more engaged, less frustrated, and more intimate in their behaviors as compared to the teachers in the norm group. All parochial schools had an open climate to varying degrees ranging from below average openness to very high openness.

The 20 parochial schools valued the cultural dimensions of quality, empathy, leader, and planning/organization. Parochial schools valued the cultural theme of relations as the top priority, followed by the themes of work, thought, and control.

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