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SOCIALIZATION AND WORK PERSPECTIVES OF HIGH SCHOOL PRINCIPALS By JOHN W. RHODES A DISSERTATION PRESENTED TO THE GRADUATE SCHOOL OF THE UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA 1994 . ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I will attempt to name those who have helped directly in the current degree program and dissertation project, but it would be impossible to name all those who made that event possible. Gratitude is expressed to all who have helped me along the way and to the principals and supervisors who voluntarily participated in my research. I am grateful to Dr. William Hedges, Dr. Sandra B. Damico, Dr. Joan L. Curcio, and Dr. Catherine Morsink as former committee members who shared and discussed many ideas. I am particularly indebted to Dr. Forrest Parkay for his advisement as former chair of my committee, for allowing me to work actively on the Beginning Principal Study as a graduate assistant, for providing me the opportunity to co- author several papers and articles with him, and for his continued encouragement and support. Gratitude is expressed to Dr. Gaylon Currie for his active support and encouragement throughout graduate school Gratitude is expressed to Dr. R. Craig Wood, Dr. Susanne Fisher, and Dr. Elizabeth F. Abbott for their support during graduate school. Very special thanks are due to Dr. Abbott for introducing me to my wife and to the graduate programs at the University of Florida through my summer work with the . . Florida Foundation for Future Scientists. Gratitude is expressed to Dr. Theresa B. Vernetson for her advisement, encouragement, and support throughout graduate school and afterward I am grateful to the faculty and staff at the Pensacola Junior College who have supported and encouraged me to finish this dissertation. In particular, I would like to thank Mr. Kenneth Sargent, Dr. James Grant, Dr. Betsy Smith, and Dr. Richard Bedics. Appreciation is expressed to Dr. Bedics for taking the time to read a few very early drafts and for providing direct support in helping me to find the time to work on this project. Gratitude is expressed to my current committee members: Dr. James Hensel, Dr. David Honeyman, Dr. Michael Nunnery, and Dr. Edward Turner. I am particularly grateful to Dr. Hensel for his encouragement and support throughout graduate school and the dissertation process, for his untiring assistance, and for the inspirational patience he exhibited throughout all phases of my experience at the University of Florida Finally, I would like to thank my parents and family who have supported me throughout this undertaking. Gratitude is expressed to my parents, Doris Culbreth Rhodes and Joseph Cullen Rhodes, who supported me with encouragement, financial help, and other direct service in times of need; to my older brother Joe, who has done more than anyone else to keep me . current with computer technology; to my wife, Connie, who has enabled me to continue the dissertation through many challenging circumstances; and to my daughter, Caitlin, to whom I owe several Saturdays and many evenings iv TABLE OF CONTENTS page ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ii LIST OF TABLES viii LIST OF FIGURES ix ABSTRACT x CHAPTERS I INTRODUCTION 1 The Literature Bases 3 Purpose of the Study 5 Research Assumptions 5 Research Questions 6 Delimitations and Limitations 6 Limiting Factors 7 Definition of Terms 8 Significance of the Study 9 Overview of Chapters II through V 10 II LITERATURE REVIEW 11 Chapter Overview 11 Effective Principalship Studies 11 Beginning Principalship Studies 17 Socialization 19 Socialization Strategies 22 Socialization Stages 24 Socialization of School Principals 34 Effects of Succession/Organizational Socialization 41 III METHODOLOGY 48 Chapter Overview 48 Pilot Survey Methodology 49 Development of the Revised PSI 49 Pilot Survey Sampling Methods 49 Pilot Survey Analysis Procedure 51 v Pilot Survey Field Test Results 52 Implications for PSI Revision 59 Validity 61 Stability of Factor Patterns Across Samples.... 63 Sampling Procedure 64 Analysis Procedure for Determining Factor Structure 64 Custodial Outcome 67 Innovative Outcome 67 Inclusivity 68 Stage 1: Survival 68 Stage 2: Control 69 Stage 3: Stability 69 Stage 4: Leadership 70 Stage 5: Actualization 70 Qualitative Data Analysis Procedure 71 IV RESULTS 73 Chapter Overview 73 Comparison of Selected Contextual Variables of Study Group to Pilot Group 73 Analysis of Variables Related to Socialization Outcomes 75 Qualitative Results 78 V CONCLUSION 86 Socialization Outcomes 86 Custodial Outcome Variables 86 Innovative Outcome Variables 87 Exceptions 89 Summary 89 Professional Socialization Hierarchy 90 Survival Stage (Stage 1) 90 Control Stage (Stage 2) 91 Stability Stage (Stage 3) 91 Leadership Stage (Stage 4) 92 Actualization Stage (Stage 5) 92 Summary 93 Common Socialization Variables 93 Stability of Factor Patterns Across Samples 95 Sources of Confirmation 95 Areas of Emphasis 96 Other PSH Patterns 97 Theoretical Implications 98 Implications for Practice 100 Recommendations for Further Study 102 vi APPENDICES A PSI, PILOT SURVEY INSTRUMENT 106 B PSI, LETTER TO PILOT SURVEY RESPONDENTS 110 C REVISED PSI H2 D PSI (2ND REVISION) 116 E REVISED PSI, LETTER TO SURVEY RESPONDENTS 120 F ANALYSIS PROCEDURE FOR PSH VARIABLES 122 G ANALYSIS PROCEDURE FOR SOCIALIZATION VARIABLES 126 H ANALYSIS PROCEDURE FOR UNION SOCIALIZATION VARIABLES 13° I QUALITATIVE SOCIALIZATION OUTCOMES 133 J QUALITATIVE SOCIALIZATION STAGES 135 REFERENCES 138 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH 146 vii LIST OF TABLES Table Page 1 Site Contexts of Pilot Sample Schools 52 2 Cumulative Work Experiences of Pilot Study Principals 52 3 Pilot PSI Principals' Sources of Confirmation 54 4 Pilot Principals' Areas of Emphasis 56 5 Factor Structure of Pilot PSI Likert Scale Items.. 57 6 Pilot Principals' Choices of Hypothetical Outcomes 58 7 Anticipated Correlation of Socialization Outcomes vs. PSH Stages 62 8 Comparison of Principalship Experience Reported by Study Participants to Predicted Time Required for Socialization Into Stages Proposed by Peterson (1986) 72 9 Respondents' Work Experiences 74 10 Factor Structure for Socialization Outcomes 76 11 Interfactor Correlations Among Outcomes Factors... 77 12 Statistics for Socialization Outcomes Indicators.. 77 13 Factor Structure for PSH Stage Indicators 79 14 Statistics for PSH Variables 80 15 Interfactor Correlations Among PSH Factors 81 16 Factor Structure for Common Variables 81 17 Correlations Among Common Socialization Variables. 82 18 Dually Encoded Qualitative Responses 83 viii LIST OF FIGURES Figure Page 1 Three-dimensional Organizational Structure (which results when hierarchical layers of authority are considered) Central movement would likely occur prior t.o upward movement (i.e., Distance a'c' for insiders is shorter than ac for newcomers) 27 2 Skewed Organizational Structure (which may result when outsiders are favored for high level positions). Distance a'c' is represented as being longer for insiders than ac for newcomers 29 3 Professional Socialization Hierarchy 36 ix . Abstract of Dissertation Presented to the Graduate School of the University of Florida in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy SOCIALIZATION AND WORK PERSPECTIVES OF HIGH SCHOOL PRINCIPALS By John W. Rhodes December 1994 Chairman: James W. Hensel Major Department: Educational Leadership The focus of the study was to examine selected aspects of socialization of secondary school principals through their own perceptions. Two major purposes of the research project were to (a) observe empirically three hypothetical socialization outcomes and the five stages of the Professional Socialization Hierarchy and (b) to examine any associations between components of the two socialization models A total of 139 pilot survey responses were obtained from principals at all levels from three geographic regions. Pilot study data were used to refine the survey instrument which was then distributed to 644 secondary school principals from 24 geographically dispersed metropolitan service areas