Principal’s Communication

Style
&
School Culture

KHALILAHANUM BINTI ZAINAL ABIDIN (2018867638)

Chapter
1
INTRODUCTION
Background of the study
• As we all know, there were lots of changes in upgrading the nation’s education in
Malaysia.
• This field also has gone through many obstacles in defining the best education
system in producing the quality of output (students).
• This changes need an efficient leaders to manage an organization such as schools.
• The leaders or principals also need to be equip with skills and knowledge to manage
the schools, teachers, students, support staff and parents.
• One of the critical skills that principals should have is communication skills.
• According to Yahya, Aziah and Yaakob (2007), principals also need skills in oral and
written communication, understanding between cultures, physical fitness and other
factors.
• As stated by Ramaiah (1999), a powerful principal in the school is a point of
contact with the various relations such as the relationship between principal,
teachers, students and parents.
• Effective communication gives rise to teachers’ comfort and create high
commitment level from teachers.
• Indirectly, this positive environment of good relationship between the principal
and teachers at school can create a positive school culture.
• A school’s culture is a reflection of the principal’s leadership style and skills.
• Harris (1971), school culture defined as pattern of behavior, attitudes and feelings
which are acquired through socialization and which are characteristics of group
rather than individuals.
Problem Statements
Communication Style
Many leaders today
communicate regularly with
individuals, their team
members, and larger
organizational units at a
distance using technology
applications.
Stated by Reeves (2006),
acknowledged the increasing
use of technology in
communication, yet urges
the importance of holding on
the non-technological side of
communication.
Samsidar (1997), the failure of
and organization is due to the
leaders who lacked of
management knowledge and
skills.
Strengthening principals’
conflict resolution skills, face-
to-face communication skills
as well as emotional demands
of principal ship are key issues
in effective and successful
school principal
(Aderson,1991)
Ineffective communications will
make teachers become
confuse and misinterpret
information.
As a result, teachers would fail
to carry the tasks and
responsibilities.
This conflict may effect the
relationship between principal
and teachers also the school
environment.
School Culture
Purkey (1990), pointed out
that school culture is often
understood to be a positive
concept.
School culture is the
underlying set of norms,
values, traditions,
ceremonies, and unwritten
rules of behavior, action, and
thinking. The school culture
is built over time as
educators cope with
problems, deal with changing
students and staff, and deal
with successes and failures.
Because of the schools itself
are closely related to
humans, i.e. principals,
administrators, teachers,
students and parents so
indirectly, there are various
of behaviors need to
understand and handle.
Sometimes, though, the
culture has developed
dysfunctional values and
beliefs, negative traditions,
and caustic ways of
interacting. These are what
Deal and Peterson (1998)
have called "toxic cultures"
These schools are not fun
places to work in and seldom
try to improve what is going
on. Toxic cultures inhibit and
limit improvement efforts in
several ways.
Research Objectives & Research
Questions
RO RQ
1. To identify the principal’s communication 1. What is the principal’s communication
style as perceived by the teachers at style as perceived by the teachers at the
schools. schools?

2. To determine the level of the school 2. What is the level of the school
culture. culture?

3. To investigate the relationship between 3. Is there a relationship between principal’s

principal’s communication style and school communication style and school culture as
culture as perceived by the teachers at perceived by the teachers at schools?
schools.
Significant of this study
• This study is aim to see the communication style that practice by the principal at
school.
• Then the level of school culture there.
• The relationship between the principal’s communication style and school culture.
• The result of this study hopefully will help the principal to understand the
communication style that can create a positive school culture.
• From the teachers view, this study can be a guide and reference for the teachers
about the important of communication skills in organization.
• From the principal view, this study can be used to improve the principal
communication skills and knowledge.
Limitation of this study
• This study will be conduct at four vocational schools;
• Kolej Vokasional Shah Alam
• Kolej Vokasional Sungai Buloh
• Kolej Vokasional Setapak
• Kolej Vokasional Klang

• This limitation means that the findings of this study cannot be generalized to all
type of schools in the state.
Chapter
2
LITERATURE REVIEW
 IV - Communication Style
Author Variables Methodology Findings
Eng Lee Wee (2011), Effective The survey was conducted • The role of communication skills
Adnan Houtmain Communication Style of to investigate the perception can improve the effectiveness of
(2004), principal. of teachers related to the principal.
Andul Khalil (2009), effectiveness of the • Failure of communication will
Mohd Amiludin (2011) principal’s communication cause problems and affect the
style. efficiency of the staff of the
organization.
Samsidar (1997) Principal’s Asking ideas and opinions • Favorable style that practiced by
communication style from the voluntarily teachers the principal is the equalitarian
and the involvement of style.
teachers. • Besides there are styles that are
not likeable which are withdrawal
style, structuring style and control
style.
 DV - School Culture
Author Variables Methodology Findings
Ann Higgins, Understanding school Survey on Professional • The culture in school can support or
D’Alessandro culture as the basis for Educators of Tennessee limit student learning.
school reform • Engage students rarely cause
(Fordham
University) discipline problems.
• For educators it can be associated
with morale, job satisfaction and
effectiveness.

Terrence Deal & Toxic Cultures and the Adopted from the book • These schools are not fun places to
Kent Peterson Problems of Change Shaping School Culture : The work in and seldom try to improve
(1998) Heart of Leadership what is going on.
• Toxic cultures inhibit and limit
improvement efforts in several ways.
 IV & DV
Author Variables Methodology Findings
Ferudun Sezgin Teachers perception Qualitative interview design to • The principal’s communication
Emre Er (2016) of school principal examine how teachers perceived style is little problematic. There is
interpersonal school principal’s form of a negative atmosphere in the
communication style : communication school because of insufficient
A qualitative study of teacher-principal communication.
Turkish primary school • The school principal should be
able to use formal and informal
communication style to create a
positive environment and a good
relationship.
• Communication plays an
important role with respect to the
nature of the organization, i.e.,
when it comes to organizational
climate and culture.
Communication Style
• Wofford, Gerloff and Cummins (1997) as cited in Wee Eng Lee (2011) traced another
communication style. They identified there are six dimensions of communication styles which are;

Communication Style Characteristic

Control style
Dynamic style
Equalitarian style
Withdrawal style
Relinquish style
style of one way communication, oriented control, demanding,
directive and should be followed by teachers
honest and straightforward, simple, aggressive, action
oriented
two way communication, friendly, empathetic, more open
avoid discussion, hinder effective communication in
organization
always served as an assistant only, hand the task to others

Structure style according to the rules and regulations existed

Hofstede Theory of Organizational
Culture
•
Hofstede (2001) and Greet Hofstede (2011) cultural dimensions are the most widely used
variables and has been applied in cross cultural communication, psychology and in
international management.

Long Term Orientation

Power Distance Index
Vs
Short Term Orientation
Organizational
Culture

Uncertainty Avoidance
Individualism
Index

Masculinity & Femininity

Research Framework
School

Principal’s Organizational Culture

Communication Style
1. Power Distance Index
1. Structural style 2. Individualism
2. Dynamic style 3. Masculinity / Femininity
3. Equalitarian style 4. Uncertainly Avoidance Index
4. Withdrawal style 5. Long Term vs Short Term
5. Relinquish style Orientation
6. Control style
Chapter
3
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
Research Design
• Quantitative research

• Easier to get data from the respondents by using questionnaires

• This questionnaire consist of questions which will be adopt and adapt from the previous
study that related to this study

• Easier to collect the analytical data

Population & Sampling
• Population - vocational schools in Selangor.

• Conduct at four vocational schools with have the same background of technical
programs

• The respondent who will involve in this study are 120 teachers

• Random sampling – each individual is chosen entirely by chance and each

member of the population has and equal chance of being
selected.

• 4 schools x 30 set of questionnaires = 120 respondents

Instrumentation
• The questionnaire divided into 3 sections:
Part A - 6 items of respondents’ personal information
Part B - 24 items related to the communication style practiced by the principal,
adopted and adapt from Nazahiyah (2013) cited in Wee Eng Lee (2011)
Part C - 29 items adopt and adapt from Hofstede’s Theory of Organizational
Culture of six dimensions.
• Five point Likert scale to evaluate the sample response
• Validity – the supervisor will review the draft of questionnaire
• Conduct a pilot study – the purpose is to improve the instruments
• Reliability – to measure the internal consistency (Cronbach Alpha Coefficient) for all
dimensions in both section Principal’s Communication Style and School Culture
Data Collection
• Plan activities before collect the data

• Using a right procedure

• An official letter will be send to this four schools for a permission in doing this study at the
chosen schools

• The distributing questionnaires and collecting data will be trough the administrator
department
Data Analysis
• SPSS (Statistical Package for Social Science)
• In order to achieve the research objectives, this is the data analysis that will be use:

RO Data Analysis
To identify the principal’s communication style calculation of mean
as perceived by the teachers at the
schools.
To determine the level of school culture at the calculation of mean
schools.

To investigate the relationship between calculation of Pearson Correlation

principal’s communication style and school
culture.