School principals' conflict action styles and teachers' perceptions of organisational resilience

This study aims to examine the impact of school administrators' conflict action styles on teachers' perceptions of organizational resilience. Conflict management approaches adopted by administrators in educational institutions are thought to play an important role on teachers' professional commitment, motivation and their ability to cope with crises. In this context, the study aims to determine whether teachers' perceptions of school administrators' conflict action styles and organizational resilience differ in terms of variables such as gender, seniority and career steps. Relational survey model was adopted in the study conducted with quantitative research method. In the data collection process, 310 teachers working in public secondary education institutions in Kırşehir city center were reached. The Conflict Action Styles Scale was used to determine teachers' perceptions of school administrators' conflict management strategies and the Organizational Resilience Scale was used to determine their perceptions of organizational resilience. The data obtained were subjected to statistical analysis using SPSS program. According to the findings of the study, it was determined that there was a significant relationship between the conflict management styles adopted by school administrators and teachers' perceptions of organizational resilience. Collaborative and consensual conflict management approaches were found to increase teachers' perceptions of organizational resilience, while coercive and avoidant management approaches were found to decrease it. In addition, it was found that teachers' perceptions of organizational resilience showed significant differences according to age, seniority and career steps, and younger teachers were more open to change and more resilient. It was determined that gender variable did not cause a significant difference in teachers' perceptions of organizational resilience. On the other hand, it was determined that teachers with a professional seniority between 0-14 years had higher levels of organizational resilience. Teachers' perceptions of organizational resilience were generally at the level of "most of the time". Teachers' perceptions of school administrators' conflict action styles were generally at the level of "quite agree". When teacher perceptions of conflict action styles were analysed according to sub-dimensions, it was seen that the highest mean belonged to the confrontational style and the lowest mean belonged to the avoidant style. In the context of gender variable, it was determined that male teachers showed more tendency towards avoidant conflict style; however, no significant difference was found in terms of educational status and career level variables. As a result, it was determined that the strategies adopted by school administrators in conflict management are related to teachers' perceptions of organizational resilience. Based on the results of the research, it is recommended that school administrators' conflict management skills should be improved and supportive policies should be adopted to increase teachers' resilience. Keywords: Conflict action styles, organizational resilience, school administrators, teachers.