Abstract
Purpose. The purpose of this study was to identify and describe the administrative stresses and coping strategies utilized by selected administrators in the California Community College system to manage the job pressures associated with the execution of their official job functions. These administrative leaders had to occupy a position in the Executive, Managerial, and administrative category and be a member of the Association of California Community College Administrators (ACCCA). A survey was conducted by questionnaire. Three hundred and four questionnaires were sent; 181 were returned for a 60 percent return rate. Methodology. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to report the data collected. Twenty coping strategies were identified and categorized from the literature. Respondents were asked to recall a recent difficult situation on the survey. The Chi-Square Test of Unequal Expected Frequencies, using the.05 level of confidence, was used to assess differences in the use of coping strategies by the selected administrators. Conclusion. The data indicated that there were statistically significant differences between coping strategies utilized by community college administrators. There were no significant differences among administrators in their selection of coping strategies in relation to age and years of experience. Certain coping strategies that relate to gender and ethnicity variables did evidence significant differences. The data indicated that problem solving and taking action were identified by 93 to 96 percent of the administrators as the most effective stress-reducing coping strategies, with delaying action strategies the least effective. Conflict-mediating pressures were selected as being the greatest source of experienced job pressures; boundary-spanning and undifferentiated pressures were the least experienced. Successful administrators tended to use a variety of coping strategies to reduce stress dependent on their personality and cognitive labeling of job pressures. Recommendations. In today's kaleidoscopic and litigious education environment, aspiring administrators would benefit by extensive training in conflict resolution, mediation, and diversity before promotion to senior educational administration positions. These skills and abilities can be acquired through several venues.