Managing Transitions, Maintaining Leadership: Monitoring the Impact of Organizational change on Leadership Capacity

Secondary Education    Principals/Superintendents

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TITLE: Managing Transitions, Maintaining Leadership: Monitoring the Impact of Organizational change on Leadership Capacity
 
RESEARCHER: Terry Waterhouse
Master of Arts in Leadership and Training
Royal Roads University
Unpublished master’s thesis: April 2004

OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this study was to determine the impact of a re-designed service delivery model on the leadership capacity of those leading the change.

METHODOLOGY
This study investigated a major structural change in a school district and involved two groups of participants: The primary participants were the four district principal leading the change and the secondary participants were all 80 staff in leadership positions across the district who were surveyed to create a District Leadership Practices Profile (response rate = 70%). Participants completed the Leadership Practices Inventory (Self and Observer formats).

KEY FINDINGS
The frequency to which principals engaged in the five leadership practices was in the moderate range compared with the Kouzes Posner normative database. Post-test results showed little change in Modeling and Encouraging, a moderate change in Enabling, and substantial changes in Inspiring and Challenging. District (teachers) mean scores on Modeling remained higher than principal (self) scores following the post-test administration and were about the same for Inspiring and Encouraging. Challenge scores from principals were below the district mean in Time 1 and were above the district mean in Time 2. Encourage scores were above the district mean in Time 1 and moved further ahead in Time 2.