A Comparative Study of Teachers’ Decision Making Styles and Their Job Satisfaction in Four Selected Migrant High Schools in Mae Sot District, Tak Province, Thailand
Keywords:
Teachers’ Decision-Making Styles, Job Satisfaction, Migrant High SchoolsAbstract
The main purpose of this study was to determine the differences of teachers’ decision-making styles with their job satisfaction in four selected migrant high schools in Mae Sot district, Tak Province, Thailand. A total of one hundred and sixteen (116) teachers from the four schools were surveyed. The main source of the data was a set of questionnaires which investigated the teachers’ decision making styles and their job satisfaction levels. The collected data were analyzed by using the frequency, percentage, mean, standard deviation and one-way ANOVA. The study found that “Group Decision Making Style” was the most perceived decision making style used by the teachers in the four schools, and from the results of teachers’ satisfaction, it was found that their job satisfaction levels were regarded as ‘neither’. Therefore the hypothesis was accepted as the study discovered that there was a significance difference in teachers’ job satisfaction between teachers who preferred autocratic decision making style and teachers who preferred consultative decision making style among different decision making styles in the four selected migrant high schools in Mae Sot district, Tak Province, Thailand. Teachers are recommended to establish a teachers’ group to regularly meet and discuss openly all issues in their professional and personal lives which impact their decision-making and job satisfaction. They should be made aware of the impact these issues can have on their own performance and student achievement, Schools Leaders and Administrators should recognize the importance of decision-making and that it could affect the school’s success or failure. A workshop should be set up immediately for both teachers and leaders to get practical experience in making the best choice of decision making styles. Also weekly teacher development meetings should be arranged for all teachers to discuss and share ideas on job satisfaction issues, both intrinsic and extrinsic. Future researchers are recommended to conduct similar studies on other management issues in schools to improve teachers’ job satisfaction and the academic progress of students, e.g. student-based learning, student and teacher motivation, teacher incentives and rewards. These studies would be invaluable in improving the education system in Myanmar and to bring them in line with standards in firstly ASEAN member countries and worldwide.References
All Burma Federation of Student Unions. (2000). The Current Education System in Burma. Year 2000 Educational Report. Retrieved from http://www.ibiblio.org/ obl/docs/ABFSUeducation-report.htm
Akhtar, N. S., Hsahmi, A.M., & Naqvvi, H.I.S. (2010). A Comparative Study of Job Satisfaction in Public and Private Schools at Secondary Level. Procedia –Social and Behavioral Sciences Journal. 2, 2010, Pages 4222-4228
Anderson, B. F. (2002). The Three Secrets of Wise Decision Making. Retrieved from http://kickass.to/the-three-secrets-of-wise-decision-making-mantesh-t5440717. html
Berghe, J. V. (2011). Job Satisfaction and Job Performance at the Work Place. Published Degree Thesis. International Business. Arcada University. Retrieved from http://www.theseus.fi/bitstream/handle/10024/28669/Vanden_Berghe_Jae .pdf?sequence=1
Beri, N. (2013). Job Satisfaction among Primary School Teachers In Relation To Decision Making Styles of Their Heads. Educationia Confab Journal. Lovely Professional Univeristy, Punjab, India. 2320-009
Berry, L. M. (1997). Psychology at Work, San Fraancisco. McGraw Hill Companies Inc.
Brousseau, R. K., Driver, J. M., Hourihan, G., & Larsson, R. (2006). How to Adjust Your Decision- Making Style. Working Knowledge for Business Leaders. Harvard Business School, United States. Retrieved from http://hbswk.hbs. edu/archive/5281.html
Buehl, M. M. (n.d). Job Satisfaction: A Quantitative Study on Why Teachers Remain. George Mason University, United States. Retrieved from http://mason.gmu.edu /~ralsweel/portfolio/artifacts/Final-811.pdf
Burmese Migrant Teachers Association. (2013). Migrant Education Crisis on the Thailand-Burma Border. Retrieved from http://www.suwannimit.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/FINAL-MEET-Proposal-August-20.pdf
Burmese Migrant Worker's Education Committee (2014). Background. Retrieved May 12, 2014, from: http://bmwecmaesot.org/Home/Background
Celik, M. A. (2011). Theoretical Approach to the Job Satisfaction. Polish Journal of Management Studies, 4. 2081 – 7452 Retrieved from http://www.pjms.zim. pcz.pl/a-theoretical-approach-to-the-job-satisfaction.php
Children’s Development Centre. (2014). Mae Tao Clinic. Retrieved May 27, 2014, from http://maetaoclinic.org/child-protection/cdc-school/
Dearlove, D. (1998). Key Management Decision. UK: Pearson Professional Limited.
Dennis, M. (2012). A Comparative Study of Instructors Perfections on Deans’ Decision-Making Styles between Private University and Public University in Bangkok, Thailand. Unpublished Master’s thesis. Assumption University Library, Bangkok, Thailand.
Dima I. C., Man, M., Modrak V., & Pachura. P. (2011). A Theoretical Approach to the Job Satisfaction. Polish Journal of Management Studies. 4, 9-10
Drukpa, S. (2010). Job Satisfaction of the School Teachers in Thimphu District of Bhutan. Unpublished master's thesis. Mahidol University, Thailand.
Education in Burma and on the Border, The Curriculum Project. (n.d.). The Curriculum Project RSS. Retrieved May 9, 2014, from http://curriculum project.org/education-in-burma
Education in Burma. (n.d.). Oxford Burma Alliance. Retrieved May 12, 2014, from http://www.oxfordburmaalliance.org/education-in-burma.html
Green, R. L. (2012). Practicing the Art of Leadership. 4th Ed. A problem-based Approach to Implementing the ISLLC Standards. Pearson Education, Inc. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey.
Hsa Thoo Lei. (2010). Global Neighbors. Retrieved May 27, 2014, from http://www.gnci.ca/index.php?id=11
Harris, R. (2012). Introduction to Decision Making, Part 1. Introduction to Decision Making, Part 1. Retrieved May 12, 2014, from http://www.virtualsalt.com/ crebook5.htm
Harrison, E. F. (1998). The Managerial Decision-making Processes. 5th ed. Boston: Houghton Mifflin.
Herzberg, F. (1966). Work and the nature of man. New York: Thomas Y. Crowell
Herzberg, F., Mausner, B., & Snyderman, B. (1959). The motivation to work (2nd ed.)
Khong, S. E (2014). Short Conversation. Burmese Migrant Worker's Education Committee.
Lunenburg, F. C., & Ornstein, A. C. (1991). Educational Administration: Concepts and Practices Belmont, Decision Making, Calif: Wadsworth Pub. Co.
Marsland, D. W., Syptak, M. J., &Ulmer, D. (1999). Job Satisfaction: Putting Theory into Practice. Retrieved from http://www.aafp.org/fpm/1999/1000/p26.html
Martinsons, M. G. (n.d). Comparing the Decision Styles of American, Japanese and Chinese Business Leaders. City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong, China.
Maslow, A. (n.d). Maslow Hierarchy of Need Theory. Your Coach. Retrieved from http://www.yourcoach.be/en/employee-motivation-theories/maslow-hierarchy-of-needs-theory.php Publishers.
Oliveira, A. (2007). A Discussion of Rational and Psychological Decision-Making Theories and Models: The Search for a Cultural-Ethical Decision-Making Model. EJBO Electronic Journal of Business Ethics and Organization Studies, 12(2), 12.
Owens, R. G. (2000). Organizational Behavior in Education. 7th Ed. The United States of America: Allyn and Bacon.
Ramanigopal, C. S. (2008). Self-Esteem and Decision Making Styles of School Teachers. Journal of the Indian Academy of Applied Psychology. Dr. B.R. Ambedkar University, Agra. 34. 145-150
Robbins, P. S (2004). Decide and Conquer. Make Winning Decisions and Take Control of Your life. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey. Perason Education, Inc.
Robbins, S. P., & Judge, T. A. (2011). Organizational behavior (15 Ed.). Harlow [etc.: Prentice Hall/Pearson.
Rowe, A.J., and Boulgarides, J.D. (1983). Decision Styles – A Perspective, Leadership and Organization Development Journal 4(4), 3-9.
Ryabova, G. (2009). Cultural Difference in Decision Making Styles of Thai and Foreign Principals in Thai and International Schools in Bangkok, Unpublished Thesis. Assumption University, Thailand.
Syptak, J. M., Marsland, D. W., & Ulmer, D. (1999). Job Satisfaction: Putting Theory into Practice. Retrieved from http://www.aafp.org/fpm/1999/1000/p26.html
Sothina, K (2014). A Comparative Study of Teachers’ Job Satisfaction of Chea Sim Boeung Keng Kang and Chea Sim Angkor Chey Upper Secondary Schools in Cambodia. Unpublished Thesis. Assumption University Library, Bangkok, Thailand.
Tat, H. H., Hooi, S. P., Rasli. M. A., Chin. A. T., & Yusoff, M. R. (n.d). The Role of Intuition in Decision Making: An Empirical Study on Academic Staff in Malaysian Public University. Retrieved from http://www.kln.ac.lk/fcms/ICBI 2012/images/ICBM/dccs/Microsoft%20Word%20-%20EDD005.pdf
Vroom, V., & Yetton, P. (2013). Vroom Yetton Contingency Model. Slide Share. Retrieved from http://www.slideshare.net/deepu21mohan/vroom-yetton-contin gency-model. New York: John Wiley & Sons.