Abstract
Purpose. The purpose of this study was to identify the decision-making processes, ranging from Independent to Consensual, perceived to be made by school superintendents of unified districts in California. These perceptions were made by the superintendents and two of their assistant superintendents. Research methodology. Descriptive research was used for this study. It was designed to generate collective information about how decisions were perceived to be made regarding realistic but hypothetical situations. The data were collected through the use of a survey instrument. A letter requesting the superintendent and two assistant superintendents to choose the decision-making process which would actually be used by the superintendent when making decisions was sent to sixty unified districts. In all incidents surveyed, it was the behavior of the superintendents being observed. A comparison was made between the choice of the superintendent and the perceived actual choice of the superintendent by their assistants. A further identification of the assistant superintendents as to the preferred decision-making process of the superintendent was made and compared to the perceived actual choice of the superintendent. Seventy-five or 75 percent of the population surveyed returned useable surveys. Tables were used to illustrate the data. Findings. The superintendents perceived their decision-making process to be participative, whereas their assistants agreed but identified participation level to be lower than identified by the superintendents. Perceived actual. These two populations differed significantly (.05 level) in their perceptions in the categories of Business and Student Relations and differed very significantly (.01 level) in the categories of Instruction and Community Relations. No significant difference was found in the categories of Personnel Relations and Non-Instructional Programs. Perceived preferred. The population of assistant superintendents' preference differed very significantly (.01 level) from their perceived actual choices in the categories of Business, Instruction, Personnel Relations, and Non-Instructional Programs; whereas, they differed significantly (.05) in two categories, Student Relations and Community Relations. Conclusions. The superintendents perceive themselves to be participative in nature when making decisions, involving their subordinates rather than making decisions independently; their assistants agree for the most part, but that the level of participation is at a lower degree than as perceived by the superintendents. (Abstract shortened with permission of author.).