Eureka! Institutional Repository

The purpose of this thesis is the study of the principal’s role in the management of conflicts and in the management of human resources. The analysis conducted based on theoretical and empirical approaches. The basic purpose of this thesis is to study the phenomenon of conflict in primary schools and the role of the principal in managing it. In addition, its purpose is to make clear the role and the contribution of the principal as a school leader from the aspect of the principals themselves but also from the aspect of the teachers. Two different questionnaires were used as tools of data collection, one addressed to teachers and the other one to principals. 160 teachers and 67 principals of primary-school education in the municipality of Thessaloniki took part in the research. The results showed that there are conflicts between principals and teachers to a large extent. As observed, most principals regard the bad communication as the main reason for the conflicts between teachers at school. Moreover, basic reasons are teachers’ absence-replacements, personal differences (values system), refusal of taking responsibility, conflicting objectives and the high levels of stress. Finally, according to the analysis of the results it was ascertained that there is some inconsistency in the views of teachers and principals in several parts of the research and this probably occurs from the difference in their role.