Mehmet KARS1, Yusuf INANDI2
1Akdeniz İmam Hatip Ortaokulu, Akdeniz, Mersin, TURKEY.
2Mersin University, TURKEY.
DOI: 10.14689/ejer.2018.74.8
ABSTRACT
Purpose: A comfortable and happy work environment, where all the teachers are sincere and true to each other and sure that what they say and do will not be used against them, is a basic need for a teacher. It is thought that meeting this expectation is up to the feeling of trust, especially in the principal, and then in colleagues and students and parents. The aim of the study is to reveal the relationship between school principals’ leadership behaviors and teachers’ organizational trust, and at what level leadership behaviors predict teachers’ organizational trust.
Research Methods: A correlational survey model was used to select participants (n=722).
Findings: The results show a significant and positive relationship between democratic leadership behaviors and all dimensions of organizational trust, while autocratic and laissezfaire leadership behaviors have a significant and negative relationship with all dimensions of organizational trust. When compared to autocratic and laissez-faire leadership behaviors, democratic leadership is the most significant predictor of principal trust. In addition, democratic leadership is the only significant and positive predictor of trust in colleagues, students, and parents, even though it is at a low level.
Implications for Research and Practice: The results of the study show that democratic principal behaviors affect not only teachers’ principal trust but also their trust in colleagues, students, and parents. Therefore, school principals should take education seminars to increase their awareness about the importance democratic leadership.
Keywords: Democratic leadership, autocratic leadership, laissez-faire leadership, trust in the school principal.