The Strategic Thinking Skills of Hong Kong School Leaders: Usage and Effectiveness

The purpose of this study was to identify strategic thinking skills that distinguish effective school leaders in Hong Kong. Three constructs framed the study: strategic thinking skills, organizational-personal characteristics, and school leader effectiveness. This study used a quantitative non-exper...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Educational management, administration & leadership administration & leadership, 2012-05, Vol.40 (3), p.343-361
Main Authors: Pang, Nicholas Sun-Keung, Pisapia, John
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Ability tests
Administrator Attitudes
Administrator Effectiveness
Assistant Principals
Best Practices
Change Strategies
Correlation
Correlation analysis
Critical thinking
Educational Administration
Educational Change
Educational leadership
Effectiveness
Factor Structure
Foreign Countries
Hong Kong
Individual Characteristics
Institutional Characteristics
Instructional Leadership
Leaders
Leadership
Leadership Effectiveness
Leadership Styles
Predictor Variables
Principals
Questionnaires
Reflection
Research Design
Schematic Studies
School principals
Strategic Planning
Systems Approach
Thinking Skills
Use Studies
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Summary:The purpose of this study was to identify strategic thinking skills that distinguish effective school leaders in Hong Kong. Three constructs framed the study: strategic thinking skills, organizational-personal characteristics, and school leader effectiveness. This study used a quantitative non-experimental design, and univariate and correlation techniques to identify the relationships between the variables examined. Five hundred and forty-three (543) school leaders participated in the study. The factor structure of the strategic thinking questionnaire (STQ) in the Chinese context was validated. The results confirmed that a link between use of strategic thinking skills and leader effectiveness exists. The strategic thinking skills profile of Hong Kong school leaders is formed around systems thinking; it is the strongest predictor of leader effectiveness. This thinking profile changes depending on role assignment, school type, and environmental complexity. Principals use systems thinking and reframing in tandem. Vice-principals use reframing more often than the other skills. Senior masters use strategic thinking skills significantly less often than principals and vice-principals.
ISSN:1741-1432
1741-1440
DOI:10.1177/1741143212436962