Blazing New Trails - Connexions

100 CRITICAL ISSUES IN SHARED LEADERSHIP
problem-solving and decision-making approaches than their colleagues in school districts
with larger student populations.
Disaggregating the data by the number of administrators in the district (see Table 2)
revealed data patterns similar to those previously described regarding school district student
population. There were significant differences between superintendents who worked in school
districts with ten or less administrators, including themselves, and those who worked in larger
school districts in each of the seven categories of decision-making and problem-solving.
Superintendents in the districts with ten or less administrators employed a greater variety of
decision-making and problem-solving approaches more frequently than did their colleagues in
school districts with eleven or more administrators. This was significant according to the
Scheffe post-hoc test at least at the .019 level or lower. This was consistent with the patterns
analyzed previously regarding school district population and rural school districts.
Superintendents in schools with small student populations and fewer administrators employed
a greater variety of decision-making and problem-solving approaches more frequently to
provide leadership in such a limited population context.
There were no significant differences identified in terms of the number of schools in
the district and the number of schools on the federal No Child Left Behind “Needs
Improvement List.”
Findings for Part C of the Survey Instrument (Calzi-Polka Dilemmas Survey)
The researchers reviewed the data collected in Part C of the survey (Calzi-Polka
Dilemmas Survey) and the findings are reported in Table 3 that specifically identifies this
sample’s rank listing hierarchy of dilemmas and corresponding mean scores.
Table 3. Ranking of Dilemmas by Mean Score.
Mean Score Standard
RANK
DILEMMA
Deviation
1 Leadership vs. Management 8.48 1.445
2 Motivation vs. Manipulation 7.68 2.158
3 Creativity vs. Discipline of Thought 7.24 1.600
4 Conflict vs. Consensus 6.77 1.858
5 Commitment vs. Compliance 6.70 1.465
6 Personal Life vs. Professional Life 5.79 1.974
7 Independence vs. Dependence 5.53 1.790
8 Long-term Goals vs. Short-term Results 5.11 1.878
9 Centralized vs. Decentralized Decision- 4.97 1.765
making
10 Trust vs. Change 4.96 2.084
11 Problems vs. Predicaments 4.91 1.805
12 Truth vs. Varnished Truth 3.36 1.894
Therefore, this sample of Mid-Atlantic School Superintendents identified that most
frequent decision-making and problem-solving dilemmas they faced related to the issue of
leadership versus management (m = 8.48). Specifically, it is critical for superintendents to
understand the difference between leadership and management and be able to put into practice
one or the other when necessary. The second most frequent dilemma related to motivation
versus manipulation (m = 7.68). Specifically, it is very important for superintendents to
realize the significance of authentically motivating teams to accomplish district goals rather