Date of Graduation
1984
Document Type
Dissertation/Thesis
Abstract
This study examined the extent to which superintendents in two selected West Virginia counties had identified and communicated with the educational influentials in their counties. Additionally, the study focused on the successful and unsuccessful superintendents in two selected West Virginia counties. The educational influentials and issues that were contemporary with the superintendents' tenures were also identified and analyzed. The researcher believed that the study would reveal a relationship between the superintendents' abilities to identify and communicate with the educational influentials in their counties and the superintendents' success or nonsuccess. A case study approach was utilized to investigate the various factors that contributed to the success or nonsuccess of the superintendents. Results were analyzed inductively in an attempt to objectively reconstruct the past events. The successful superintendent correctly identified and effectively communicated with the educational influentials within the educational power structure. In addition, the successful superintendent correctly identified the significant educational issues in the educational power structure. Comparatively, the unsuccessful superintendents failed to correctly identify and effectively communicate with the educational influentials within the educational power structure. In addition, the unsuccessful superintendents failed to correctly identify the significant educational issues in the educational power structure. The successful superintendent helped to create and nurture an educational power structure that was favorable to the growth and success of the school system. The unsuccessful superintendents failed to accomplish this. The successful superintendent gained and maintained the control of the school system by implementing strategies to effectively allow the influence by consensus of the supportive educational influentials to be realized in educational matters and constructively utilized this influence to neutralize the opposition. The unsuccessful superintendents failed to accomplish this also. The successful superintendent possessed the ability to remain at the top of the pyramidal monopolistic power structure in the county, whereas the unsuccessful superintendents failed to secure control over the school system embroiled with the competitive elite power structure in the county.
Recommended Citation
Weber, King R., "A Comparative Study Of Two West Virginia Community Power Structures And Their Relationship To Superintendents' Success." (1984). Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports. 10137.
https://researchrepository.wvu.edu/etd/10137