Page 1 of 12
Journal for Studies in Management and Planning
Available at http://edupediapublications.org/journals/index.php/JSMaP/
e-ISSN: 2395-0463
Volume 01 Issue 11
December 2015
Available online: www.edupediapublications.org/journals P a g e | 112
ANALYSING THE LEADERSHIP BEHAVIOUR OF COLLEGE PRINCIPALS
Dr. C. SUBATHRA
Assistant Professor of Commerce, Pioneer Kumaraswamy College, Nagercoil – 3.
ABSTRACT
The study investigates the leadership behavior viz., Leadership style, Decision making
style & Motivation profile of college principals in Kanyakumari District. Researches on
managers (formal leaders) in different settings suggest that Leadership style, managerial
decision-making style, and Motivation profile are the three important factors for managerial
effectiveness (Bass, 1990). The study surveyed 130 college principals (51 males and 79 females)
in Kanyakumari District. Applied frequency and percentage analysis and Mean and SD to
explore the Leadership behavior of College Principals using SPSS. The finding reveals that most
of the college principals in Kanyakumari District are Democratic leaders, Behavioral decision
makers and Achievement Motivators. The study finding gives an implication for leadership
training to college principals.
Keywords: College principal, Decision Making, Leadership, Motivation Profile
INTRODUCTION
The manager, a decision maker and the motivator in the field of higher educational institution
is “The principal”, who is the chief of the institution. Research on managers (formal leaders) in
different settings suggests that Leadership style, Decision-making style, and Motivation are the
three important factors for managerial effectiveness (Bass, 1990). This study investigates the
three important dimensions of principals’ behavior: viz., Leadership style, Decision making style
and Motivation Profile. Leadership style describes the behavior of the leader by Autocratic
Leadership, Democratic Leadership and Laissez-Faire Leadership; Managerial decision-making
style describes the typical way in which the principal solve problems and make decisions. Four
functions are used to describe Decision making behavior: Directive, Analytical, Conceptual and
Behavioral; and Motivation profile describes the need for the Motivation: Achievement
Motivation, Affiliation Motivation, and Power Motivation.
Page 2 of 12
Journal for Studies in Management and Planning
Available at http://edupediapublications.org/journals/index.php/JSMaP/
e-ISSN: 2395-0463
Volume 01 Issue 11
December 2015
Available online: www.edupediapublications.org/journals P a g e | 113
PRINCIPAL’S LEADERSHIP BEHAVIOR
The climate and effectiveness of a college change drastically owing to a change of
leadership is another important problem analyzed by the researcher. The college Principal is
mainly responsible for what goes on in the college. He holds the key position in the college just
as the captain of a ship holds the key position on a ship. The principal is the coordinating agency
which keeps the balance and ensures the harmonious development of the whole institution. He
sets the tone of the college and is the chief force in molding the tradition which develops as goes
on. It is essential, therefore, that he be not only a man of high character but also a man of faith in
his staff and students and faith in human nature. Perhaps no single characteristic is more
important in a leader as principal than the power of inspiring his students to make the best of the
opportunities provided, drawing out the best that is in them and inspiring confidence in himself,
and his advice and wisdom not goodwill; inspiring his staff with energy, life and mutual
goodwill among themselves, and confidence in him as their leader. Thus identified the three
important dimensions Leadership, Decision Making and Motivation for the principal in order to
fulfill the goals and achieve success of the institution.
OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY
Following are the objectives of the present study:
1. To analyze the Demographic profile of college principals in Kanyakumari District.
2. To examine the Leadership behavior of college principals in Kanyakumari District.
3. To provide suggestions based on the study result.
METHODOLOGY
The researcher used survey method (50% through Drop-off Survey and 50% through
Mail survey). The surveys allowed researcher to obtain data about the Leadership behavior of the
College Principals in Kanyakumari Disrtict. The population sample of the study consisted of Arts
& Sciences (n=24), Engineering Colleges (n=31), Polytechnic Colleges (n=21), Nursing College
(n=20), and Education Colleges (n=34) college principals. The whole colleges under the target
Page 3 of 12
Journal for Studies in Management and Planning
Available at http://edupediapublications.org/journals/index.php/JSMaP/
e-ISSN: 2395-0463
Volume 01 Issue 11
December 2015
Available online: www.edupediapublications.org/journals P a g e | 114
group had been selected as the population of the study as a Census survey. The researcher run
Reliability test for the Leadership, Decision Making and Motivation questionnaire using SPSS
with the minimum acceptable reliabilities was at .70 (Cronbach’s alpha) to check the internal
consistency of the Questionnaire. Participant’s demographics analysed using frequency and
Percentage analysis and to explore the Leadership behavior applied frequency and percentage
analysis and descriptive statistics (mean and percentage) using SPSS.
DIMENSION AND FACTORS OF LEADERSHIP BEHAVIOR
For the purpose of this study the researcher has taken three variables viz., leadership
style, Decision making style and motivation profile as the factors of Leadership behavior, based
on (Bass, 1990) which stress that Leadership style, Decision-making style, and Motivation are
the three important factors for managerial effectiveness . Each factor has their own dimension
based on its theories.
Leadership style describes the behavior of the leader by Autocratic Leadership,
Democratic Leadership and Laissez-Faire Leadership; (Lewin, Lippit and White, 1939)
Decision-making style describes the typical way in which the principal solve problems
and make decisions. Four functions are used to describe Decision making behavior:
Directive, Analytical, Conceptual, and Behavioral; (Row and Mason, 1987) and
Motivation profile describes the three needs for the Motivation: Power Motivation,
Affiliation Motivation, and Achievement Motivation. (McClelland needs theory, 1961)
DEMOGRAPHIC PROFILE OF THE COLLEGE PRINCIPAL
Table.1.Demographic profile of the College principal (Frequency and percentage)
Variables Frequency Percentage
Gender
Male 51 39.2
Female 79 60.8
Age Group
Below 40 10 7.7
41-45 17 13.1
46-50 32 24.6
51-55 47 36.2
