Judgments of selected public school administrators regarding benefits resulting from management by objectives programs
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Abstract
The purpose of the study was to obtain, report and compare the judgments of selected public school administrators regarding Management By Objectives programs. The participating administrators were asked to make judgments related to expected benefits in the following management areas: (1) work expectations, (2) communication, (3) decision-making, (4) problem-solving, and (5) evaluation. Judgments were compared on the basis of management level of the administrators and size of the school district.The review of research and literature was conducted to determine the developmental evolution of the management by objectives movement in both the private and educational sectors. The research and literature review was reported in the following categories: (1) the historical development, (2) rationales for formulating and developing management by objectives programs, (3) expected benefits and liabilities of management by objectives programs, and (4) findings from research studies that have been conducted regarding management by objectives programs.Two specific research questions were developed regarding the judgments of administrators in relationship to management by objectives. Five null hypotheses were developed to examine each of the research questions. The statistical comparisons were made by using the chi square test of independence, with .05 determined as the level of significance.The population selected to be included in the study consisted of one hundred fifty-three administrators from eleven school districts in the State of Pennsylvania. A management by objectives program had been developed and implemented in each school district included in the study. One hundred and two, or 67%, of the selected administrators choose to participate in the study.The School Management Questionnaire was developed to collect the judgments of administrators regarding management by objectives programs. The School Management Questionnaire was developed from the review of related literature and from the materials used in a management by objectives workshop that had been conducted in each of the eleven school districts prior to the implementation of the management by objectives workshop.Significant findings developed from the study included the following:1. There was a significant difference between the combined judgments of superintendents vs. central office administrators vs. principals vs. other administrators concerning the following management areas: (1) work expectations, (2) communications, (3) decision-making, (4) problem-solving, and (5) evaluation.2. There was a significant difference between the combined judgments of administrators from small school districts (8,249 or less students) and the combined judgments of administrators from large school districts (8,250 or more students) in the management areas of work expectations and evaluation.3. There was not a significant difference between the combined judgments of administrators from small school districts (8,249 or less students) and the combined judgments of administrators from large school districts (8,250 or more students) in the management areas of communication, decision-making and problem-solving.The following conclusions were developed from the findings:1. The findings suggest that the implementation of a management by objectives program does not insure that the problem of evaluating administrative performance will be solved.2. The findings indicate that central office administrators were more supportive of management by objectives programs than were principals, assistant principals and other non-central office administrators.3. The findings suggest that the overall expected benefits of a management by objectives program, when measured by the responses to the School Management Questionnaire, did exist in the eleven school districts included in the study.