Connection Between School Culture and Leadership Styles

796 Words2 Pages

There is a connection between school culture and leadership styles. The literature review will also address the two basic categories of leadership. According to Cox (2001), there are two basic categories of leadership which are transactional and transformational. The following scholars (Barnett, McCormick & Conners, 2001) made the distinction between transactional and transformational leadership. James McGregor Burns’ (1998) introduces Burns the difference between ordinary (transactional) and extraordinary (transformational) leaders. According to James McGregor Burns’ (1998) transactional leaders exchanged tangible rewards for the work and loyalty of followers, and (transformational) leaders are the ones who engaged with followers. Additionally, the focused on higher order intrinsic needs, and raised consciousness about the significance of specific outcomes.

(Bernard Bass, 2003) introduces the conception of transactional and transformational leadership. He states that they are separate concepts and that good leaders demonstrate characteristics of both.

Bass (1990b, p. 21) states that Transformational leadership fosters capacity development and brings higher levels of personal commitment amongst followers. However, transformational leadership occurs when leaders broaden and elevate the interests of their employees. (Kelly, 2003; Yukl, 1989) asserts that Transformational leaders elevate people from low levels of need. Transformational leaders are said to create trust, admiration, loyalty and respect amongst their followers (Barbuto, 2005, p. 28).

(Rice, 1993) determines that Transformational leadership is also based on self-reflective changing of values and beliefs by the leader and their followers. From this emerges a key characteristic of transformational leadership.

According to Gronn (1996) the literature in educational leadership offers no single conception of the processes that constitute transformational leadership. Gronn (1996) makes emphasis on the close relationship between charismatic and transformational leadership. He point out the absence of notions of charisma in some work transformational leadership. (Leithwood & Jantzi, 2000) introduce the four main factors that make up transformational leadership whereas. They introduce the four main factors which are: 1.) Idealized influence, 2.) Inspirational motivation, 3.) Intellectual stimulation, 4.) Individualized consideration. The Additive Effect of Transformational Leadership supports these four main factors Hall, Johnson, Wysocki and Kepner (2002, p. 2).

It will very important to evaluate the four main factors and the effect they can have when dealing with the topic of discussion which is the role of the principal in shaping school culture.

Open Document