European Journal of Education Studies
ISSN: 2501 - 1111 (on-line)
ISSN-L: 2501 - 1111 (print)
Available on-line at: www.oapub.org/edu
10.5281/zenodo.56391
Volume 1│Issue 4│2016
STRUCTURAL EQUATION MODEL LEADERSHIP STYLE OF
MANAGERS AND ORGANIZATIONAL HEALTH IN SCHOOLS OF
DIVANDARREH CITY IN THE ACADEMIC YEAR 2015-16
Mashallah Azizi1*, Naghi Kamali2
1,2
Department of Educational Management, Zanjan Branch,
Islamic Azad University, Zanjan, Iran
Abstract:
The objective of this research was study of a structural equation model leadership style
of managers and organizational health in schools of Divandarreh city in the academic
year 2015-16. The research method is descriptive and correlation. Thus, 220 individuals
under investigation which include administrators and teachers in the education &
training of city Divandarreh city were selected as randomly stratified. The required data
were gathered by using two questionnaires of Clark's leadership style (1991) and
organizational health of Hoy and Foldman (1996) and were analyzed by Pearson
correlation coefficient and structural equation model. Results suggested that there is
meaningful relationship between leadership styles with organizational health. Results
of structural equation model indicate the predicting leadership style with
organizational health.
Keywords: leadership styles, organizational health, school managers
Introduction
In the current era has been proved that social institutions which are based on objective
and conscious structure have a strong role in the development of the community. One
of these organizations, according to sociologists and social analysts is education &
training organization. Undoubtedly, these organizations are one of the most important
structures of training and education in the community. Thus, guidance and leadership
such organizations are important and sensitive. The importance and role of
management in our country, which has large area, relatively good weather,
geographical location and is rich of natural resources and potential human resources, is
Copyright © The Author(s). All Rights Reserved
Published by Open Access Publishing Group ©2015.
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Mashallah Azizi, Naghi Kamali STRUCTURAL EQUATION MODEL LEADERSHIP STYLE OF MANAGERS AND ORGANIZATIONAL
HEALTH IN SCHOOLS OF DIVANDARREH CITY IN THE ACADEMIC YEAR 2015-16
more crucial than ever (Ahmadi and Bazrafshan, 2013). Meanwhile one of the important
and effective issues in management schools process is organizational health which
refers to a situation that facilitates growth and development of an organization and
makes it possible reaching to goals. In healthy organizations, their members are dutiful,
have high moral performance, network communications, are useful and open, and
people love to come to their workplace and by working in this place, they feel proudly
and satisfied (Alaghe mand, 2006).
The concept of organizational health firstly raised in the educational
organizations. The study of research literature reveals that the concept of organizational
health is used in these organizations for two reasons. First, because the organization is
considered a social system where managers and employees each play a role so a healthy
organization should reflect a social interaction between these key elements (Brans, 2008)
and second because it is necessary for an organization to be effective to the actual
specific tasks (Amirkhani, 2015). According to Clark, a healthy organization is both
consistent innovators, has a high capacity for bearing internal and external crises and is
able to move forward to the new level (Davis, 1991).
According to Leiden and Klyngl (2000), health organization is a completely new
concept in the organization which includes the organization's ability to perform their
duties effectively in line with growth and improvement of the organization. A healthy
organization is a place that people want to stay and work there and effective and useful
persons. Organizational health has a positive impact that in schools has more important
(Mazlomi, 2010). In fact organizational health is not only including ability of the
organization for doing duties effectively yet includes ability of the organization for
consistent grove and improvement. Supervisors in the healthy organizations are
pledged and loyal employees with high morale and performance and open
communicational channel and high success. Also, Fourd noted that a healthy,
communicational organization creates only in the shadow of a strong, wise and
impassioned leader that has penetrated at all organizational levels (Hemmat, 2011).
Organizational health is affected by many factors that can be effective in
achieving organizational goals and results to effectiveness of the organization and
finally have performance in the efficiency of the organization (Sinder, 2000) that one of
these items can be leadership style of managers in schools (Taghinasab et al, 2009).
Management and leadership is a key element of the organization and community and
educational management has a special place among managements. If education and
training of each community is on top of all of society's issues, the educational
management as well has a special position on the improvement and development of
community (Ahmadi and Bazrafshan, 2013). In fact, integrate management of human
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Mashallah Azizi, Naghi Kamali STRUCTURAL EQUATION MODEL LEADERSHIP STYLE OF MANAGERS AND ORGANIZATIONAL
HEALTH IN SCHOOLS OF DIVANDARREH CITY IN THE ACADEMIC YEAR 2015-16
and material resources in order to achieve organizational goals are a way that is suitable
to the community (Katrin, 2007).
Another point that is very important to mention is the manager's role as the main
cause of health promotion in the school; in fact managers have some duties in schools
that for doing them should understand clearly, organizational roles and interpersonal
relations and school goals and try for providing requirements of school members and
customers and organizational health at school (Mazlomi, 2010). In addition, according
to surveys conducted in this area, there was not found a study which directly paid
attention to test the relationship between these two variables. Also, previous researches
have approved or rejected each other in the some instances.
Amirinasab conducted a research which dealt with the relationship between
leadership style and organizational health of secondary school teachers of Chabahar
city. Results indicated that generally organizational health status was assessed favor
from the perspective of teachers. The results of the correlation coefficient between
grammatical style and organizational health and participatory style and organizational
health have a meaningful relationship. But there was no meaningful relationship
between the style of delegating and organizational health. Stepwise regression analysis
also showed that the most prediction from health organization is belonged to
participatory leadership style.
Ahmadi and Bazrafshan (2013) assessed relationship between management
styles with organizational health and job stress of employees. Results showed that there
is reverse and meaningful between management style and organizational health, there
is direct, and meaningful relationship between tasks oriented management style and
organizational health. A reverse and meaningful relationship observed between
variables of organizational health with job stress. And finally, the results of predictions
indicate the power of forecasting of network management of relationship and rule for
variables of organizational health and job stress.
Mazloomi and Shahtalabi (2011) in their research with title of relationship
between transformational leadership style of managers and organizational health of
elementary schools of Isfahan city concluded that there is meaningful relationship
between leadership style of managers and all indexes of organizational health of
elementary schools.
Abdollah and Arokiasami (2016) conducted a research with purpose of examine
effects of school culture over organizational health of teachers of secondary schools in
Malaysia. The results of the analysis of the findings showed that the culture of school
has a positive and meaningful effect over organizational health. Abdollah and
Arokiasami (2015) conducted a research about relationship between transformational
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Mashallah Azizi, Naghi Kamali STRUCTURAL EQUATION MODEL LEADERSHIP STYLE OF MANAGERS AND ORGANIZATIONAL
HEALTH IN SCHOOLS OF DIVANDARREH CITY IN THE ACADEMIC YEAR 2015-16
leadership style and organizational health of secondary school teachers in Malaysia.
Results of this research suggested that transformational leadership style and
organizational health have a positive and meaningful relationship with each other. Lee,
Park and Joo (2015) conducted a research with title of organizational health
effects on behavioral intentions of customers in terms of leadership of middle
managers. The results showed a significant effect of health on customer behavioral
intentions. But the results showed that by adding leadership as a moderator variable of
effects of exogenous variable or organizational health on the endogenous variable or
behavioral intentions, there is no difference. It can be said that moderate variable of
leadership has a neural role between two mentioned variables. Given the importance of
the items listed for leadership style and organizational health, the main motivation in
the study is that little researches has examined the relationship between these two
variables together which increases the importance of this research. So we hope that this
study will result in managers of schools and training and educating departments have a
better understanding of leadership styles and its relationship with organizational health
to thereby improve the relationship between teachers and school staff and students'
academic achievement.
Methods
The method of research is correlation and in terms of data gathering is field one. The
statistical community was consisted of all schools managers and teachers of
Divandarreh city. Based on the inquiries, conducted by education and training
department in this region, the number of managers and teachers is 550. According to
the target population by using Morgan table 220 people were selected as samples by
using simple random sampling.
For data collection two questionnaires of 30 item of Klark leadership style (1991)
which consisted and three subscales, dictator leadership style (director), democrats
(participatory) and assignor (non-directive) which participants should express in a
range of 5 degrees (from ever to never) the amount of their success by using each of the
statements. Organizational health questionnaire of Hoe and Foldman in 1996 had
created in 7 dimensions of institutional integration, principal influence, consideration,
maintenance, support resources, morale and academic emphasis, also this questionnaire
consists of 44 items; participants should response to this questionnaire should in a 5
degree spectrum (from ever to never) express the extent of their agreement or
disagreement by using each of these statements.
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Mashallah Azizi, Naghi Kamali STRUCTURAL EQUATION MODEL LEADERSHIP STYLE OF MANAGERS AND ORGANIZATIONAL
HEALTH IN SCHOOLS OF DIVANDARREH CITY IN THE ACADEMIC YEAR 2015-16
The content validity of tools was examined by 5 people of management masters
and after modifications was confirmed. The reliability of tools in one guide study by
using Cronbach's alpha test for leadership style questionnaires calculated as a=0.90, and
for organizational health questionnaire a=0.85.in the following obtained information
from descriptive and inferential statistics Pearson correlation coefficient and structural
equation model analyzed in the level of p≤ . 5.
Results
To develop and test analytical model Amos structural equation analysis has used. But
before using this statistical tool to evaluate the severity and direction of correlation
relationships between latent variables of research model Pearson correlation coefficient
was used which its results has come in Table 1, it should be noted that Pearson
coefficients only express the relationship between variables as casual and impure
variable. This means that in these correlations the effect of other variables is not under
control.
Table 1: The results of relationship between manager's leadership styles with
Organizational health
Organizational Health
Variable
0.603
R
0.001
Sig
Leadership Styles
The results of the study showed that there was positive and meaningful relationship
between manager's leadership styles with organizational health that is, between
manager's leadership styluses with organizational health 0.603 there was positive and
meaningful relationship.
This means that with the increasing desirability of the leadership style from the
view of managers, it can be expected that organizational health increase and vice versa.
Structural equation model (SEM)
In this research based on theoretical frame ware, previously has considered a theoretical
structure has considered, thus to test the construct validity and goodness of fit test
structure by using Amos software with possession data variables structural model was
tested.
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Mashallah Azizi, Naghi Kamali STRUCTURAL EQUATION MODEL LEADERSHIP STYLE OF MANAGERS AND ORGANIZATIONAL
HEALTH IN SCHOOLS OF DIVANDARREH CITY IN THE ACADEMIC YEAR 2015-16
Figure 1: Structural Equation Model variables of leadership style and organizational health
Table 2: Indicators structural equation model variables leadership style and
organizational health
Row
Index
Value
Persian Equivalent
Desired Value
Equal To Or More
1
Normalized Fit Index
(Nfi)
0.937
2
Incremental Fit Index
(Ifi)
0.958
3
Comparative Fit Index
(Cfi)
0.957
(Rmsea)
0.094
Less Than 0.1
(Cmin.Df)
2.929
Less Than 3
4
5
The Root Mean Square Error Of
Estimate
Chi Square Normalized
Than 0.90
Equal To Or More
Than 0.90
Equal To Or More
Than 0.90
Status
Optimal
Optimal
Optimal
Relatively
Good
Relatively
Good
Table 2, indicates the fact that Indices Chi square to degrees of freedom CMIN.DF is
equal to 2.929, relatively good, comparative fit index of NFI, IFI, CFI is more than 0.90
and RMSEA index are optimal and non-optimal respectively. That is, the study model
has optimal fit and considered factor structure for it, is acceptable and in other words,
data from the study partly supported the study and confirming the theoretical model.
Table 3: Model path coefficient and significance level
Variable
Leadership Style---Organizational Health
Path Coefficient
0.65
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The Value Of T
5.942
Sig
0.001
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Mashallah Azizi, Naghi Kamali STRUCTURAL EQUATION MODEL LEADERSHIP STYLE OF MANAGERS AND ORGANIZATIONAL
HEALTH IN SCHOOLS OF DIVANDARREH CITY IN THE ACADEMIC YEAR 2015-16
According to the diagram depicted in Figure 1 it becomes clear that the leadership style
has meaningful and positive effect on the education and training schools of
Divandarreh. In other words, it is specified that with the level of error 0.001, the
leadership style is effective on the organizational health of managers. The coefficient of
determination organizational health showed that 0.45 from variance between the two
variables is common.
Discussion and Conclusion
Leadership is a subject that has been proposed from many discussions and researches.
And its root can be found from elementary management literature. Also, the
organization's experts have defined specific procedures to apply the styles and special
procedures. However, the organization is not limited to leadership, only. And
leadership will not be the only way to success in the organization, as the organization
and its structure are surrounded by special factors and phenomenon. One of the factors
is that today itself is rich of literature regarding the health of organization.
Therefore, in this study, structural Equation Model leadership style and
organizational health in city schools of Divandarreh investigated in academy year 201516. Initially, Pearson correlation test for results indicated that there is a positive and
meaningful relationship between manager's leadership styles with health organization.
The result of the research is consistent with findings Amiri Nasab (2014), the oppressed
and loving the King (2011) and Abdullah and Arokiasamy (2016).
In explaining this hypothesis can be stated that today one of the main factors in
the success of schools of all countries is organizational health. Several factors are
contributing to the success and performances of schools. Some of these factors include:
widespread support of parents and communities, mental-social space of environment,
supportive environment for staff, trust in interaction and respect among teachers.
However, principals' leadership behavior and organizational health is a key factor
affecting the performance of schools. Teachers play an important role in the
implementation of educational goals and from the other hand, by knowing the
personality, attitudes, expectations and objectives of a particular person with different
needs, that as managers can, by correct decisions and proper leadership style, help on
implementing educational goals and promote organizational health on schools
(Ahmadi and Bazrafshan, 2013).
Moreover, the results of structural equation modeling showed that leadership
style has a significant impact on organizational health. In other words, it was found that
the level of error of 0.001 percent leadership style is effective on organizational health of
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Mashallah Azizi, Naghi Kamali STRUCTURAL EQUATION MODEL LEADERSHIP STYLE OF MANAGERS AND ORGANIZATIONAL
HEALTH IN SCHOOLS OF DIVANDARREH CITY IN THE ACADEMIC YEAR 2015-16
managers. The value of effect was equal to standard beta 0.65. This means that if school
administrators comply with all aspects of leadership style and plan for this purpose it is
likely that this will make the 67 percent change in organizational health.
Also, determination coefficient between variable of leadership style on
organizational health indicates that 45% of the variance between the two variables is
common. This means that the internal market will explain 45% of organizational health.
In other words, leadership style explains the value of organizational health. And the
amount of unexplained variance may be due to a number of factors or other variables,
including demographic variables which in this study its effect were not measured. In
conclusion, there is a significant effect between leadership style and organizational
health.
This result is consistent with results of Taghnasab et al (2014) which examined
the relationship between leadership styles and organizational health in secondary
schools, and Ahmadi and Bazrfeshan (2013), Mazlamomi and Shahtalabi (2011) and
Amiri Nasab (2014). Therefore, the style of principal not only important in terms of
working conditions and understanding its dynamics yet it predicts school
organizational health, human tendency of teachers and their trust in colleagues and
principal. The healthy manager has trusted teachers who believe in high standards; in
these schools, the degree of confidence is high to manager and colleagues. Coordination
of educational programs is the next step. Communication within the school is creative
and coordination in the educational would contribute essentially at the performance of
the educational institution (Ahmadi and Bazrafshan, 2013).
Results showed that there is positive and meaningful relationship between
leadership styles with organizational health of schools managers of Divandarreh. So
when school managers are using from a leadership styles which are simpler for them
and are more appropriate with their personal features. We can conclude that leadership
style in different workplaces is appropriate with organizational relations and school
managers are an effective key factor in organizational health and finally on teacher’s
performance.
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