Date
11-2018
Department
School of Education
Degree
Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership (EdD)
Chair
Andrea Beam
Keywords
Negotiations, Self-determination Theory, Negotiation Theory, Motivation, Superintendents, Teacher Contracts
Disciplines
Education | Educational Leadership
Recommended Citation
Theurer, Kelly A., "Successful Negotiations: A Phenomenological Study of the Lived Experiences of Superintendents Who Successfully Negotiate Teacher Contracts" (2018). Doctoral Dissertations and Projects. 1887.
https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/doctoral/1887
Abstract
New York State has a long history related to teachers’ unions. Superintendents are often the main players for school districts when negotiating teachers’ contracts. While much has been researched about negotiations, there is a gap in the literature in relation to the motivating factors of superintendents to successfully negotiate teachers’ contracts. The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to describe the lived experiences of school superintendents who have successfully negotiated teachers’ contracts within suburban areas of New York State. The central research question was: What are the lived experiences of school superintendents who have successfully negotiated teachers’ contracts in public school districts in suburban New York? Sub-questions explored motivations, external factors, and internal or personal characteristics of the superintendents who have lived experience. The theories guiding this study included the negotiation theory (Zartman, 1978) and the self-determination theory (Deci & Ryan, 2000b). The methodology that was utilized was a transcendental phenomenological design that includes purposeful sampling of participants, data collection obtained through questionnaires, interviews, and document analysis for 11 participants. Data analysis utilized Moustakas’ (1994) prescribed procedures for constructing thematic portrayals of the lived experiences of the participants. When the data were analyzed, four themes emerged: negotiations processes, opportunities of negotiating, obstacles of negotiating, and effectuation of success. Results described the lived experiences of superintendents and how these experiences play a role in administration, with teachers’ unions and within the community.
