7. Conclusion
The principal is an indispensable ingredient for school success. Therefore, principal JS and OC are extremely important in assuring school achievement (Leithwood & Seashore-Louis, 2011; Yousef, 2017). However, there is very limited research evidence regarding the topic. This current study is therefore valuable in that it addresses the gaps by drawing on comparative cross-national data, situating each country in an international context to explore variations in principal JS and OC, and developing a framework of a comprehensive set of school factors that impact JS and OC.
The present study suggests the existence of significant variations among individual countries and regions. Such evidence is important for the countries struggling with high principal turnover and burnout. More importantly, this research provides evidence about what school factors are related to the low level of satisfaction and commitment. Moving forward from previous research that focuses on working conditions and student populations (Ni, Sun, & Rorrer, 2015; Sun & Ni, 2016), this study added essential components to the analysis and found that social interaction among the staff, school safety, school human resources, and autonomy for staffing are all important factors influencing principal satisfaction and commitment. Among all factors, however, mutual respect appeared to be the most important.
Although researchers (Bellibas & Liu, 2016) generally believe it is imperative for principals to create a school climate in which safety and respect are evident for teachers to be successful, it is evident in the current research that principals themselves benefit from such a positive environment. Considering the current pressure on principals for accountability and achievement, which might cause dissatisfaction and less commitment, it is imperative now that the positive staff interaction, collaboration, school safety and developing strong human capital are crucial for retaining principals.
