Abstract
Purpose. The purpose of this study was to identify and compare the values related to communication, family, technology, and work style that elementary school principals indicated were significant in the actions they took as leaders and to determine if these values were moderated by age as defined by generational cohorts. Methodology. The study was descriptive and ex post facto, using quantitative data collected from a questionnaire administered to 247 elementary school principals in the Riverside and San Bernardino Counties. Responses to statements based on the four variables were rated on a six-point Likert scale. The parametric two-sample z-score and nonparametric Mann-Whitney U tests for differences were used to analyze the data. Findings. Statistically significant differences related to all four variables between Baby Boomer and Generation Xer elementary school principals were established. Conclusions and recommendations. This study has shown that Baby Boomer and Generation Xer elementary school principals maintain differences in their perceived values related to communication, family, technology, and work style that impact their actions as leaders. Generational research should be conducted on other educational leader groups to determine if similarities exist across educational levels. The recruitment and retention practices of school district human resource offices should be examined to determine their effectiveness and to promote policies that facilitate systemic change that addresses the leadership crisis in public education. In addition, the similarities and differences in burnout rates of Baby Boomer and Generation Xer principals should be studied to preserve the number of quality leaders in public education so that educational reform may continue and the challenges of the twenty-first century may be met.