Elements of positive trust between superintendents and principals: Analysis of virtue theory and transformational leadership theory

The significance of this study of virtue ethics within the relationship between superintendents and principals has great implications for the climates of schools. The purpose of this study was to investigate how the characteristic of trust embedded within virtue theory and applied to the relationship between a superintendent and principal(s) promoted a better learning environment within the school system. The qualitative study used a comparative case study model for the purpose of answering three research questions: (1) In what ways does a principal, whose relationship with the district superintendent has mutual trust and respect present, take ownership of directives from the superintendent and implement these directives with fidelity at that campus; (2) In what ways does a campus benefit from a relationship of trust and respect between a superintendent and a principal; and (3) In what ways do the superintendent and principal’s leadership styles allow for building trust?
The research participants were chosen from superintendent and principals pairs from 1A, 2A and 3A school districts located in Texas having three or more year’s tenure together. Each of the five pairs of superintendents and principals were observed together at various school events. Teacher focus groups from the top three pairs that exhibited the most trust together were interviewed. The pair observations and teacher focus groups were used to glean more information about the pairs, but also as a triangulation factor. The data collected from the digitally recorded interviews was transcribed and the grounded theory approach was used to analyze findings for emergent patterns and new themes.
The findings indicated that trust was earned within each team as long as the five elements of tenure, communication, collaboration, consistency and credibility were found to be present. The interviews revealed those characteristics which enabled trust to exist within these relationships while uncovering two emergent themes, the non-socialization of pairs outside of the school context and principals as the main link between the superintendent and teachers.
This study found that tenured trust in character intersected virtue theory and transformational theory only when the five elements were previously found with the relationship: tenure, communication, collaboration, consistency and credibility. Tenured trust in character was the element that enabled principals to carry out directives from their superintendents with fidelity at their campus and make them their own. The campus benefitted from the trusting relationship between the principal and superintendent both intrinsically, teachers feeling confident in the non-threatening atmosphere, and extrinsically, by getting the things for their campus for which the principal asked. Implications for superintendents and principals, and all educational administrators include promoting positive relationships within their educational hierarchy to build awareness mentoring that enables tenure between administrators and promotes a positive awareness of the importance of communication, collaboration, consistency and credibility.