NEGOTIATION WITH TEACHERS
AS A MANAGERIAL TASK OF
THE SCHOOL PRINCIPAL
SEWAGODIMO AMOS SEBETLELE
B.A., B.A (HONS)., B.Ed.
Dissertation submitted in fulfillment of the requirements for the
Degree Magister Educationis in Educational Management
In the Faculty of Educational Sciences at the North West University
(Potchefstroom Campus).
Supervisor: Professor P.C. van der Westhuizen
POTCHEFSTROOM
2005
SUMMARY
Key words: negotiation; principals; educators; negotiation skills; conflict; power; school
management.
The study focuses on the use of negotiation skills as a managerial task of the school
principal in order to reduce conflicts between teachers and between teachers and
themselves, so as to enhance a good working interpersonal relationship between them.
This will lead to the building of trust, professional development and success.
The purpose of this study was to determine through a literature study and empirical
investigation, the nature of negotiation in schools and the skills used by principals when
negotiating with teachers. The empirical investigation determined the skills used the most
and least by principals when negotiating with teachers.
Chapter I covered the statement of the problem, aims and methods to be used to obtain an
overview of the nature of negotiation. This chapter also covers the empirical investigation
which includes the questionnaire, population and sample, the statistical techniques. This
chapter further covers the arrangement of chapters.
Chapter 2 emphasises the nature of negotiation in general and in schools. The definition
of negotiation and the concepts closely related to it are given in this chapter. The
significance of negotiation and the negotiation principles are explained. The process of
negotiation with its three phases, are discussed, approaches to negotiation are explained
and common mistakes that occur during negotiation are highlighted. Mention is also
made of the attitude principals have towards the use of negotiation in schools, as well is
the effects that negotiations have on school performance.
The context and skills needed in successful negotiation are discussed in chapter 3. With
regard to the context of negotiation, the climate, negotiating for common ground, the
characteristics of good agreement and the elements of negotiation are covered. With
regard to skills needed in successful negotiation, listening, empathy, space, timing and
persuasion are discussed.
In chapter 4 the empirical research design, administrative procedures, population and
sampling as well as statistical techniques are discussed. The completed and
questionnaires returned by respondents are empirically analysed and interpreted. The
practical significance (effect size) of differences between biographical data and the
different negotiation factors is done to determine if the differences are large enough to
have an effect in practice. In chapter 5 the summary of all the chapters is done as well as
the findings wm the research and the recommendations.
Of all the negotiation skills discussed, it is evident that empathy is a skill that is mostly
used by principals, followed by persuasion and the process of negotiation. The skill that
is used least by school principals and that is also recommended as a topic for further
research, is space.
Recommendations of this study emphasize the importance of workshops and or in-service
training for principals on the use of negotiation skills.