הקשר בין סגנון מנהיגות המנהל לבין מחויבות המורים בתווך סטראוטיפיים לגבי מוגבלות פיזית בחברה הערבית בישראל

Abstract

The present study focuses on an examination of the variable ‘stereotypical attitudes
towards people with disabilities’ as a intervening factor in the correlation between the
school principal’s leadership style and the staff’s organizational commitment. The
purpose of the research was to examine the correlation between the Arab school
principal’s management style and the teachers’ commitment to the organization in Arab
schools, in a society with stereotypical attitudes towards people with physical
disabilities.
The research was conducted in seven Arab schools in the Northern region of Israel. One
of the schools was managed by a principal with a physical disability. 116 teachers
teaching in different grades in the schools participated in the research. Data were
collected by a structured questionnaire composed of four parts: (1) personal data, (2)
questions on leadership based on the Full Mediation Model of Leadership and measuring
different factors of formative and rewarding leadership, (3) an organizational
commitment questionnaire and (4) a stereotypical attitudes questionnaire.
Two main hypotheses formed the foundation for the research:
1. The school principal’s leadership style correlates with the organizational
commitment of the teacher to school.
2. The teacher’s stereotypical attitude mediates the correlation between the
principal’s leadership style and the organizational commitment of the teacher to
school.
The research findings confirmed the first hypothesis and showed that the principal’s
leadership style does indeed correlate with the teacher’s organizational commitment.
Insofar as the principal’s leadership style is more formative, so the teacher’s

commitment to the organization increases and if the principal’s leadership style is more
rewarding then the principal’s commitment to the organization increases.
Findings regarding the second hypothesis indicated that stereotypical attitudes held by
the teachers concerning people with physical disabilities mediate between the rewarding
leadership style of the principal and the teacher’s organizational commitment, but do not
mediate the correlation with a formative leadership style.
This finding emphasizes the point that a principal with physical disabilities who has a
charismatic personality, and uses an accepted leadership style with his staff, will be
awarded support and satisfaction by his staff, and his physical disability will not restrict
his ability to successfully fulfill the principalship role and will not have a negative
influence on teachers’ commitment to the organization.
The main conclusion from this study is that people in Arab society deliberate הכוונה מה)
on opinions true their express to whether כאן? אפשר לראות את המשפט המקורי בעברית(
people with disabilities. The subject of attitudes towards people with physical disabilities
is a most sensitive subject, which people in Arab society find it difficult to discuss in an
overt and clear manner, and this was apparent in the discussion over the contradiction
that was revealed between the research’s quantitative findings and the qualitative
findings in which participants had more opportunities to express themselves.
It seems that there is a need for social, moral and perceptual changes in attitudes towards
people with physical disabilities in order to create a more egalitarian, just, open, tolerant
and permissive society.