Perception of secondary school principals of value based management

This research has been carried out with qualitative research method and content analysis to identify the perception of secondary school principals of value based management. For this purpose in 2011-2012 academic year forty four principals of twenty three high schools of varied types in Elazığ city centre were interviewed. In the study principals? views were collected through semi-structured interview method and datum were resolved with qualitative analysis methods. As a result it can be concluded that; principals consider value based management both as an objective for schools that are primarily expected to form personality and transfer values and also as a tool to reach this aim in terms of training and management, and at the same time value based management is considered to give primary importance to social, national and moral values in management. Principals underline that values constitute an indispensable basis especially for management and education. It is clearly seen that principals are primarily expected to organize various activities and create a model for cultural transmission and the formation of value systems of students; also principals give special importance to transmission of national and moral values on many issues about values. It has been concluded that, as means to ensure value based management, principals need to communicate effectively and internalize values, in addition, value based management?s role in the enhancement of productivity of every activity in educational institutions and reach the objectives created in order to form a positive school climate is heeded a great deal by principles.Key words: High schools, principal, values, management, value based management, qualitative research.