Korea has constantly promoted educational reformation since the 1980s to improve the quality of education system and the recent discussions on comprehensive quality control of school education, responsible administration of school units, and "learning...
Korea has constantly promoted educational reformation since the 1980s to improve the quality of education system and the recent discussions on comprehensive quality control of school education, responsible administration of school units, and "learning organizations" of schools have been purported to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of school organizations through reformation. However, what needs to be preceded before reforming school organizations is to study and answer the following issues: what kind of organization are schools, what characteristics do they have, what kind of organization culture do schools have, and are members of school organizations satisfied with their job?
The organizational culture of school organizations is the way how its members execute professional affairs, including their shared values, faith, norms, integrated symbols, and structures. It is found that schools with stronger organization cultures show greater organization effect or job satisfaction. In this respect, this study was conducted, with emphasis on the relationship between school organization culture and job satisfaction, to substantially clarify in which organization culture job satisfaction appears greater, whether organization effect is higher with stronger organization culture, and how the perception toward organization culture differs for the faculty section and the administration section.
Moreover, the purpose of this study was to suggest ways to operate school organizations effectively according to the unique organization culture of each school while improving the job satisfaction of members.
For this purpose, I extracted and measured four aspects of organization culture - hierarchical culture, group culture, rational culture, and developmental culture - and conducted both literature studies and a survey. The subjects of this study were 261 faculties and administrative officials that are working for public elementary and secondary schools in Chuncheon-si and Cheolwon-gun.
In result, first, the clarity of perception toward organization culture was strongest for developmental culture, followed by rational culture, hierarchical culture, and group culture. Second, only position and current school influenced perception toward organization culture. Third, perception toward organization culture according to position was strongest for hierarchical culture, followed by collective culture and developmental culture. Fourth, perception toward organization culture according to current school was only significant for group culture. Fifth, job satisfaction of school organization members was highest with relationship with colleagues, followed by overall career, interests in profession, compensations, and opportunities for promotion. Sixth, only position and current school appeared to influence job satisfaction. By position, vice-principals showed the highest job satisfaction and administrative officials in class 7 or lower showed the lowest satisfaction. Seventh, by current school, members of general high schools showed the lowest job satisfaction, whereas members of elementary schools showed the highest satisfaction. Eighth, in terms of school organization, only group culture influenced job satisfaction.
Based on these results, it can be concluded that school organization culture is clearly different from corporate organization culture or administrative organization culture. This means that school organization has characteristics that are distinguished from those of any other organization and that the condition of a desirable organization culture varies from organization to organization.
In order to have a desirable organization culture, it would be effective for schools to give discretion and autonomy to the members of their organizations, motivate them with opportunities to participate and learn, and build intimate relationships with them.
Internal measures to take would include: first, the chief managers should change. Schools need chief managers that can tolerate many things with an open heart, wisely respond to changes in external environments, and create and lead an organization culture. Second, it is necessary to develop an incentive system that can improve job satisfaction of organization members. Good examples would be improving work environment, developing various rewarding systems, and expanding training programs. Third, it is necessary to develop an organization culture that can contribute to job satisfaction and search for measures of organization control. Negative factors, such as control or individualism, should be reduced and positive factors that relate to 'group culture' and job satisfaction, such as an open mindset, humane consideration, more opportunities to participate, unofficial grouping, and increased opportunities to communicate, should be constantly discovered and encouraged.
External measures would include: first, the structure of school organization should be effectively improved. Endless conflicts between the two groups forming the dual structure can inhibit the development of school organizations. Second, compensation system for school officials should be realistic. Third, new methods of organization control should be introduced and human resources system should be improved.
As this study was limited to a certain region in Gangwon-do Province, its findings are quantitatively and qualitatively insufficient to be applied to all school organizations. Nevertheless, they would contribute to understanding the development of organization cultures in Korea's elementary and secondary schools and the career satisfaction of their members. It is also hoped that this study can contribute to understanding school organizations, as well as the values and behaviors of members, the efficiency of school organization control, and the relationships among members, to be able to revitalize the educational activities of schools and improve the quality of education in Korea.