Principals’ perceptions of politics

Abstract

This study is an effort to examine principals’ perceptions of workplace politics and its influence on their productivity and efficacy. A survey was used to explore the perceptions of current school administrators with regard to workplace politics. The instrument was disseminated to principals serving public schools in one Midwestern state in the USA. Results show that administrators see workplace environments as happier without politics, but there is a recognized need for leaders to be politically savvy in order to assure successful leadership. Additionally, when administrators become more seasoned (surpassing the ten year mark as a school leader) the concept of political savvy shifts to a less significant level of importance. While this study focused on US school administrators, the practical implications from this work centre on a focus related to principal training within the areas of politics and socialization.