Principal's personality style and organizational goal achievement in the Hebrew day school

Naftali Meir Langsam, Fordham University

Abstract

This study explored the relationship between selected effective Hebrew day schools and certain leadership qualities of their principals, including Humanistic (Humane) and Machiavellian (Political) personality factors. It was hypothesized that a combination of high Political and high Humane would be deemed most effective by the judgment of their own faculties. Participants in this study were 300 teachers and 47 principals from 50 Hebrew day schools in the five boroughs of New York City. The data were collected by means of four instruments--Christie's Mach IV/V, Perloe's Social Values Questionnaire, and two instruments developed by the researcher, i.e., the School Performance Analysis Questionnaire, and the Personal Data Index. Data analysis resulted in partial confirmation of the hypothesis. There is a relationship between the high Machiavellian personality trait and the teacher's perception of a quality school. The relationship between the effective school and the Humane factor was not confirmed. (Perhaps due to an apparent confusion in the interpretation of technical terms.) Recommendations for three areas of further study were made: (a) Is there a relationship between the effective Jewish school and the specific Judeo-ethic concern of the Jewish principal. (b) Is there a specific relationship between being Jewish and being a principal in a Jewish school? and (c) Is there a qualitative difference between the yeshiva/Hebrew day school and the general school as institutions, which might impinge upon the school or even the principal's effectiveness?

Subject Area

School administration

Recommended Citation

Langsam, Naftali Meir, "Principal's personality style and organizational goal achievement in the Hebrew day school" (1989). ETD Collection for Fordham University. AAI9007199.
https://research.library.fordham.edu/dissertations/AAI9007199

Share

COinS