The Role of Leadership Skills of High School Principals in Their Knowledge Management Process Competencies

Abstract

School principals play an important role in assisting educational institutions in achieving knowledge and gaining knowledge management competence and hence, as a real knowledge organization, in meeting the needs of the age. In order to realize knowledge management, principals should take an active role both as knowledge managers and leaders. The aim of this study was to examine the extent to which leadership skills of high school principals predicted their knowledge management process competencies. In the context of this purpose, the study also aimed at investigating the relationships between principals’ leadership skills and their knowledge management competencies. The sample of the study realized in a relational screening model was comprised of 573 high school teachers working in Adana province of Turkey. The surveying method was utilized for data collection and the data obtained were statistically analyzed. The results of the study suggest that there is a statistically significant relationship between principals’ knowledge management competencies and their leadership skills and that the high school principals’ leadership skills are a predictor of their knowledge management process competencies. The findings of the study emphasize applicability of knowledge management at schools from a social perspective and point out that leadership of the school principal is a facilitator factor to carry out knowledge management processes at schools.