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A Phenomenological Study of the Lived Experiences of Superintendents Who Successfully Negotiate Teacher Contracts

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A Phenomenological Study of the Lived Experiences of Superintendents Who Successfully Negotiate Teacher Contracts 1 SUCCESSFUL NEGOTIATIONS: A PHENOMENOLOGICAL STUDY OF THE LIVED EXPERIENCES OF SUPERINTENDENTS WHO SUCCESSFULLY NEGOTIATE TEACHER CONTRACTS by Kelly A. Theurer Liberty University A Dissertation Presented in Partial Fulfillment Of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Education Liberty University 2018 2 SUCCESSFUL NEGOTIATIONS: A PHENOMENOLOGICAL STUDY OF THE LIVED EXPERIENCES OF SUPERINTENDENTS WHO SUCCESSFULLY NEGOTIATE TEACHER CONTRACTS by Kelly A. Theurer A Dissertation Presented in Partial Fulfillment Of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Education Liberty University, Lynchburg, VA 2018 APPROVED BY: Andrea Beam, Ed.D., Committee Chair Timothy Nelson, Ed.D., Committee Member Michael Mensch, Ed.D., Committee Member 3 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. Keywords: successful negotiation, self-determination theory, motivation, superintendents, teachers’ contracts, teachers’ unions, negotiation theory 4 Dedication In memory of my father, Woodrow Wilson Theurer, this paper is dedicated to my mother, Rosemary Theurer. Mom…you and Dad have guided and encouraged me to keep on going and I am grateful for all of your support and love. I hope he’s proudly smiling down on us. Thank you. I love you. 5 Acknowledgments Throughout this long adventure, I have learned that I should not be anxious about anything, but by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present my requests to God. He listened, and I am grateful. I would like to thank my husband, Peter, who encouraged me to work (even when I didn’t want to), gave me space to get it done, and believed in me. We are a good team, and I love you. I would like to thank my sister, Karen, for helping me secure a few of these participants. There hasn’t been a paper so far in my educational journey that she hasn’t helped with in some way, so why should this one be any different? I would like to thank my mother-in-law, Sharon, for reading and rereading each page and giving her advice to make it the best it could be. I would like to thank my committee chair, Dr. Andrea Beam, for sticking with me and meeting me at the finish line, to Dr. Timothy Nelson, for joining the committee halfway through and sharing his time to help me meet my goals, and to Dr. Michael Mensch, who, in a small school office in Southampton, gave me a chance long before this particular journey began. I would like to express my gratitude to Dr. Allan Gerstenlauer and Dr. Phil Kenter for their endless encouragement, laughs, support, and advice along the way. I would like to extend my sincere appreciation to the superintendents who gave up their time to participate in this study. My time with each one of you was extremely valuable to this endeavor, and I couldn’t have done it without each of you. 6 And, lastly, I need to thank my best writing buddy, Roger. You spent as many hours at the computer as I did. As far as I’m concerned, you are now a Dr. too! 7 Table of Contents ABSTRACT .................................................................................................................................... 3 Dedication ....................................................................................................................................... 4 Acknowledgments........................................................................................................................... 5 List of Tables ................................................................................................................................ 12 List of Abbreviations .................................................................................................................... 13 CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................... 14 Overview ........................................................................................................................... 14 Background ....................................................................................................................... 14 Historical Context ................................................................................................. 14 Social Context ....................................................................................................... 15 Theoretical Context ............................................................................................... 15 Situation to Self................................................................................................................. 16 Problem Statement ............................................................................................................ 18 Purpose Statement ............................................................................................................. 19 Significance of the Study .................................................................................................. 19 Research Questions ........................................................................................................... 21 Definitions......................................................................................................................... 22 Summary ........................................................................................................................... 24 CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW .............................................................................. 25 Overview ........................................................................................................................... 25 Theoretical Framework ..................................................................................................... 25 Self-Determination Theory ................................................................................... 26 Negotiation Theory ............................................................................................... 30 8 Related Literature.............................................................................................................. 33 History of Teachers’ Unions In New York State .................................................. 34 The Process of Negotiating Teachers’ Contracts in New York State ................... 37 The Role of the Superintendent ............................................................................ 41 Successful Strategies of Negotiation .................................................................... 47 Understudied Areas ............................................................................................... 51 Filling the Gap ...................................................................................................... 53 Summary ........................................................................................................................... 53 CHAPTER THREE: METHODS ................................................................................................ 55 Overview ........................................................................................................................... 55 Design ............................................................................................................................... 55 Research Questions ........................................................................................................... 57 Setting ............................................................................................................................... 57 Participants ........................................................................................................................ 58 Procedures ......................................................................................................................... 59 The Researcher’s Role .....................................................................................................
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