CITATION AND COPYRIGHT INFORMATION:
Cite as: Nestor-Baker, N. S. (1999). Tacit knowledge in the superintendency: An exploratory analysis. Doctoral dissertation, Ohio State University. Advisor, Wayne Hoy.
© Nancy Sue Nestor-Baker (1999).
You may be able to order a full copy of this dissertation through the author, or through ProQuest Dissertation Express.

ADVISOR:
Wayne Hoy

ABSTRACT:
Tacit knowledge is viewed as a manifestation of practical intelligence, encompassing interpersonal and intrapersonal skills and insight into goal-achievement. This interview study breaks new ground by examining the tacit knowledge of public school superintendents, and considering whether tacit knowledge content and quantity are related to superintendent success and to superintendent career mobility. The sample was comprised of 22 highly successful Ohio public school superintendents and 22 typical Ohio public school superintendents. Career-bound superintendents constituted 73% of the sample, and place-bound superintendents 27%. Tacit knowledge of the 44 superintendents was collected via interviews conducted using a combination of critical-incident technique and Sense-Making Methodology. Interviews elicited examples of practical leadership knowledge learned informally during the administrators’ professional careers. Interview responses were culled and coded into “if-then” statements, encompassing antecedent and consequent behaviors pointing to tacit knowledge. A total of 469 tacit knowledge items was generated from the interviews. Tacit knowledge quantity was analyzed by conducting a Mann-Whitney test of ranks on the amount of tacit knowledge items generated by each comparison grouping of superintendents (highly-successful/typical, place-bound/career-bound). Highly successful superintendents evinced a significantly higher amount of tacit knowledge ( N = 137, p = 0.01). No significant difference in tacit knowledge quantity was found between career-bound and place-bound superintendents. In examining tacit knowledge content, an independent sort was done on the coded statements. Using dissimilarity matrices created from pairings occurring through the sort process, hierarchical agglomerative cluster analysis was performed on the tacit knowledge items from the superintendent group as a whole, and from highly successful, typical, career-bound, and place-bound groups, respectively, in order to determine categories of tacit knowledge relied upon by each group, and to consider differences in the categories. Board relations, public relations, building personal performance capacities, managing organizational goals, and using inter and intrapersonal knowledge comprise over 50% of the tacit knowledge in each superintendent group. Highly successful superintendents’ unique tacit knowledge categories focus on enhancing the role/image of the superintendent. Typical superintendents’ unique categories address subordinate involvement. Career-bound superintendents’ unique categories are directed toward strengthening the superintendency while place-bound superintendents’ unique categories deal with relationships between superintendent, staff, and community.

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See: http://communication.sbs.ohio-state.edu/sense-making/AAauthors/authorlistnestorbaker.html