Date of Award

1989

Degree Name

Educational Leadership

College

College of Education and Professional Development

Type of Degree

Ed.D.

Document Type

Dissertation

First Advisor

Jennifer W. Britton

Second Advisor

William G. Monahan

Third Advisor

Michael E. Sullivan

Fourth Advisor

Powell E. Toth

Fifth Advisor

Ken M. Young

Sixth Advisor

Paul A. Leary

Abstract

This study was designed to examine the relationship between the self-perceived preferred brain hemispheric processing of West Virginia public school principals and their self-perceived leadership styles. Seventy-five respondents completed the Herrmann Brain Dominance Profile, the Leader Behavior Description Questionnaire, and a demographics sheet. Data were analyzed using the General Linear Model of the Statistical Analysis Systems (SAS). Chi Square analyses at the 0.05 alpha level were used to test two directional hypotheses that guided this study. Both hypotheses were confirmed.

Public school principals in West Virginia who perceived themselves as preferring mental processes that are predominantly left train hemispheric perceived themselves to be initiating structure leadership style. Public school principals in West Virginia who perceived themselves as preferring that are predominantly right brain hemispheric perceived themselves to be consideration leadership style.

Fifty-six principals had preferences for left hemispheric processing, 16 principals had preferences for right hemispheric processing. and three principals preferred neither left nor right hemispheric processing and were considered to be integrated. Of the 56 left hemispheric principals. 47 were males and, nine -were females. Of the 16 principals who preferred right hemispheric processing, five were males and 11 were females.

Significant differences were found between principals’ preferred hemispheric processing modes and their predominant leadership styles. Additionally, significant differences were found between male and female principals’ hemispheric preferences.

Note(s)

The University of West Virginia College of Graduate Studies became the WV Graduate College in 1992 and was subsequently merged with Marshall University in 1997.

Subject(s)

School principals – West Virginia.

Leadership.

Cerebral hemispheres.

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