INFLUENCE OF PRINCIPALS’ LEADERSHIP FOR TOTAL QUALITY MANAGEMENT ON STAKE HOLDERS

Introduction:
A number of researches conducted in last two decades have established a key function of educational leadership in development of quality schools. There is emerging evidence that leadership is a significant factor in development of quality organization( Blanton,1991 ; Robinson,1996).The significance of leadership in development of quality in school education is also recognized by Paine et al.(1992,p 40),who have discussed concept of Total Quality Education as Model for schools.
However concept of Total Quality Management perceives school as a service organization designed to fulfill the needs of their clients. Within the educational context services include educational programs, advice, care, information and opportunities to participate and skills up gradation. In school principal is the leader to lead such management system and my experience as teacher, school leader and now school leadership trainer explores the influence of principals’ leadership through Total Quality Management dimensions on clients’ satisfaction in terms of ownership for school, fulfilling higher needs of self esteem and actualization etc.

Objectives of the study:
Leadership and Total Quality Management are frequently discussed topics in Malaysian schools. Every school has to undergo tedious quality assurance process which in terms of teachers and principals is a time consuming work. The entire process only accounts for curriculum and instructional leadership aspects the key outcome being students’ academic achievement. But leadership for learning goes beyond academic achievements (Sharma 2012).This study therefore explores the influence of principals’ leadership through Total Quality Management Dimensions on satisfaction of students and teachers.

Methodology:
Being quantitative in nature this study utilizes collection of data through administration of self developed questionnaire by researcher on 200 students and 150 teachers from secondary schools in Malaysia (Separate questionnaire for both categories). Data will be analyzed using SPSS to identify the impact of leadership dimensions, Total Quality Management Dimensions on dimensions of Client satisfaction.

References:
[1] American Association of School Administrators (1992). Creating Quality Schools.AASA, Arlington.
[2] Blanton, C. (1991). A principal’s vision of excellence: achieving quality through empowerments. Praxis Vol.3, pp.4-6, 23.
[3] Plaine, J., et al. (1992).Total Quality in Education.Ashton Scholastic, Sydney.
[4] Sharma, S. (2012). Instructional Leadership model through Asian principals’ perspectives. Proceedings ICEMI, Singapore.