Palla, Ele he ia; Se da is, Panagio is; An oniadis, Ioannis; Spin hi opoulos,
Kons an inos
A icle
Explo ing p incipals' pe cep ions o ma ke o ien a ion in
mode n schools
Adminis a i e Sciences
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MDPI – Mul idisciplina y Digi al Publishing Ins i u e, Basel
Sugges ed Ci a ion: Palla, Ele he ia; Se da is, Panagio is; An oniadis, Ioannis; Spin hi opoulos,
Kons an inos (2025) : Explo ing p incipals' pe cep ions o ma ke o ien a ion in mode n schools,
Adminis a i e Sciences, ISSN 2076-3387, MDPI, Basel, Vol. 15, Iss. 5, pp. 1-21,
h ps://doi.o g/10.3390/admsci15050168
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Ci a ion: Palla, E., Se da is, P.,
An oniadis, I., & Spin hi opoulos, K.
(2025). Explo ing P incipals’
Pe cep ions o Ma ke O ien a ion in
Mode n Schools. Adminis a i e
Sciences,15(5), 168. h ps://doi.o g/
10.3390/admsci15050168
Copy igh : © 2025 by he au ho s.
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A icle
Explo ing P incipals’ Pe cep ions o Ma ke O ien a ion in
Mode n Schools
Ele he ia Palla * , Panagio is Se da is, Ioannis An oniadis and Kons an inos Spin hi opoulos
Depa men o Managemen Science and Technology, Uni e si y o Wes e n Macedonia, 50150 Kozani, G eece;
[email p o ec ed] (P.S.); [email p o ec ed] (I.A.); kspin hi [email p o ec ed] (K.S.)
*Co espondence: [email p o ec ed]
Abs ac : Backg ound/Pu pose: In an inc easingly compe i i e educa ional landscape, he
school p incipal’s ole has expanded beyond ins uc ional leade ship o include s a egic
ma ke ing esponsibili ies. Ye he ole o ma ke ing in school leade ship emains un-
de explo ed. Ou objec i e was o in es iga e how G eek seconda y school p incipals
pe cei e ma ke ing’s key dimensions (Cus ome O ien a ion, Compe i o O ien a ion, and
In e -Func ional Coo dina ion) wi hin schools, in compa ison o o he school s a mem-
be s. Design/Me hodology: A c oss-sec ional su ey design was employed, collec ing da a
using a s uc u ed ques ionnai e adap ed om Opla ka and Hemsley-B own. The sam-
ple comp ised 350 esponden s, including school p incipals and eaching s a . One-way
ANOVA, supplemen ed by Games–Howell and K uscall–Wallis es s, was employed o
examine g oup di e ences ac oss he h ee dimensions o ma ke o ien a ion. Resul s: Ou
indings indica e ha p incipals demons a e a highe le el o Cus ome O ien a ion han
o he s a . Howe e , no signi ican di e ences we e ound in Compe i o O ien a ion o
In e -Func ional Coo dina ion ac oss oles. Conclusions/No el y: The indings sugges ha
while p incipals play a key ole in aligning school unc ions and engaging wi h in e nal
s akeholde s, hei sensi i i y o ex e nal compe i ion emains limi ed. The s udy highligh s
he e ol ing na u e o school leade ship while showing ha ma ke ing s a egies in G eek
schools a e insu icien ly implemen ed, calling o esea ch in o how leade ship aining
can enhance ma ke esponsi eness.
Keywo ds: ma ke ing se ices; educa ional ma ke ing; educa ional p ocess; seconda y
schools; school p incipals
1. In oduc ion
Despi e g owing ecogni ion o he ole o ma ke ing in educa ion, empi ical esea ch
on how school leade s engage wi h ma ke ing concep s, pa icula ly Cus ome O ien a-
ion, Compe i o O ien a ion, and In e -Func ional Coo dina ion, emains limi ed. While
ma ke ing’s de ini ion, objec i es, and s a egies con inue o be deba ed (Ma inge,2012),
exis ing s udies p edominan ly ocus on highe educa ion ins i u ions o ma ke -d i en
school sys ems.
P io esea ch highligh s bo h he signi icance o implemen ing ma ke ing echniques
in schools and o school leade ship in shaping ins i u ional image and p omo ing pa en al
engagemen . B auckmann and Pashia dis (2011), along wi h Foske (2002), iden i y ma -
ke ing as a comp ehensi e managemen p ocess ha enhances a school’s e ec i eness by
mee ing he needs o i s clien s (pa en s and s uden s). Ha ey (1996) also no es ha ma -
ke ing plays a c ucial ole in ad ancing schools’ isions o hei s uden s.
Opla ka (2007)
Adm. Sci. 2025,15, 168 h ps://doi.o g/10.3390/admsci15050168
Adm. Sci. 2025,15, 168 2 o 21
s a es ha p incipals a e esponsible o managing hei schools’ ope a ions, os e ing a
posi i e en i onmen and se ing he di ec ion o school imp o emen . As ma ke ing
becomes mo e compe i i e, p incipals mus align hei leade ship p ac ices wi h in e nal
ma ke ing e o s and inno a ion. Addi ionally, Opla ka (2007) men ions ha ce ain Is aeli
schools need o en oll new s uden s and secu e unding o emain inancially iable. The
decisions made by pa en s ega ding seconda y schools and p i a e ins i u ions c ea e
signi ican compe i ion. Heck and Hallinge (2009) asse ha educa ional leade s a e
essen ial in implemen ing school e o ms and play a signi ican ole in ma ke ing hei
ins i u ions. Robinson and G ay’s (2019) s udy on he deba e be ween ans o ma ional
and ins uc ional leade ship unde sco es he need o an in eg a ed app oach, whe e lead-
e s balance mo i a ing ollowe s wi h ensu ing s uden s’ educa ional p og ess. Ma inge
(2012) obse es ha leade ship in ol es pe suading o he s o achie e speci ic objec i es,
and e ec i e school leade s mus os e ela ionships s a egically o na iga e he chal-
lenges o an inc easingly ma ke -d i en educa ion sys em. Hi sch eld (2000) belie es ha
a p ima y goal o ma ke ing in schools is o in o m pa en s abou he educa ional oppo -
uni ies a ailable o hei child en, while s uden s a e in o med abou he me hodology
and con en o he lessons hey ecei e. School p incipals play a key ole in de eloping
ma ke ing s a egies, ensu ing eache collabo a ion, and s i ing o imp o e he quali y o
educa ion p o ided.
Howe e , hese s udies do no in es iga e how p incipals concep ualize and ope -
a ionalize ma ke ing s a egies wi hin sys ems ha lack s ong ma ke compe i ion o
au onomy. As a esul , li le is known abou how ma ke ing p inciples apply o seconda y
educa ion sys ems embedded in cen alized, s a e- egula ed amewo ks, such as G eece,
whe e educa ional ma ke ing is s ill eme ging. In G eece, whe e educa ional go e nance is
highly cen alized and school choice mechanisms a e limi ed, ma ke ing p ac ices a e no
s uc u ally embedded bu a e inc easingly in o mally adop ed by indi idual schools. This
con ex p esen s a c i ical empi ical and heo e ical gap: i challenges assump ions abou
he d i e s o ma ke ing beha io in educa ion and aises impo an ques ions abou he
adap abili y o ma ke ing amewo ks in less ma ke ized sys ems.
This s udy con ibu es o illing his gap by empi ically examining how seconda y
school p incipals in G eece pe cei e and enac ma ke ing- ela ed beha io s and whe he
hese di e signi ican ly om hose o o he educa ional s a . Speci ically, i explo es p in-
cipals’ s a egic oles in managing Cus ome and Compe i o O ien a ion and coo dina ing
in e nal unc ions, a iad cen al o he ma ke o ien a ion amewo k. Unlike p e ious
s udies ha ocus on en i onmen s whe e ma ke logic is explici , his esea ch analyzes
ma ke ing beha io s in a sys em whe e such logic is implici ly eme ging, o e ing a no el
lens on he di usion o manage ial p ac ices in educa ion.
By ancho ing i s analysis in a cen alized and non-compe i i e schooling sys em,
his s udy no only deepens ou unde s anding o school leade ship’s e ol ing scope bu
also complica es p e ailing na a i es ha link ma ke ing s ic ly wi h neolibe al, ma ke -
d i en e o ms. The indings ha e p ac ical implica ions o leade ship aining, sugges ing
he need o de elop s a egic compe encies e en in educa ional sys ems ha ha e ye
o ully emb ace ma ke p inciples. In doing so, his esea ch b oadens he concep ual
and geog aphic bounda ies o educa ional ma ke ing and ede ines wha s a egic lead-
e ship can look like in public schooling sys ems acing slow bu signi ican cul u al and
manage ial shi s.
2. Theo e ical F amewo k
The success o an educa ional ins i u ion is in insically linked o he capabili ies o
i s p incipal. In con empo a y educa ional en i onmen s inc easingly shaped by ma ke
Adm. Sci. 2025,15, 168 3 o 21
dynamics, e ec i e school leade ship necessi a es no only pedagogical and manage ial
p o iciency bu also a obus se o ma ke ing compe encies. These compe encies enable
p incipals o engage meaning ully wi h s akeholde s, espond o compe i i e p essu es,
and coo dina e in e nal unc ions e icien ly.
Ma ke o ien a ion o e s a aluable heo e ical lens h ough which o examine hese
ma ke ing- ela ed leade ship a ibu es. D awing on he ounda ional concep ual ame-
wo k de eloped by Na e and Sla e (1990) and i s adap a ion o educa ional con ex s
by Opla ka and Hemsley-B own (2007), ma ke o ien a ion in schools can be unde s ood
h ough h ee in e ela ed dimensions: Cus ome O ien a ion, Compe i o O ien a ion, and
In e -Func ional Coo dina ion.
Each o hese dimensions con ibu es o a composi e unde s anding o he p incipal as
a mul i ace ed leade :
-
Cus ome O ien a ion, discussed u he in Sec ion 2.1, cap u es he p incipal’s e-
sponsi eness o he needs and expec a ions o key s akeholde s, including s uden s,
pa en s, and he b oade communi y.
-
Compe i o O ien a ion, explo ed in mo e de ail in Sec ion 2.2, e lec s he p incipal’s
awa eness o ex e nal educa ional ends and ins i u ions and hei capaci y o posi ion
he school s a egically wi hin a compe i i e landscape.
-
In e -Func ional Coo dina ion, elabo a ed upon in Sec ion 2.3, deno es he p incipal’s
abili y o os e collabo a ion and alignmen ac oss in e nal eams and depa men s.
P incipals who demons a e highe le els o hese dimensions ela i e o o he school
s a may be ega ded as mo e s a egically o ien ed leade s. Such di e en ia ion no only
signi ies he p incipal’s leade ship e ec i eness bu also se es as an indica o o he deg ee
o which ma ke ing p inciples a e embedded wi hin he school’s o ganiza ional p ac ices.
In his espec , he assessmen o ma ke o ien a ion p o ides a meaning ul amewo k o
e alua ing and enhancing school leade ship in ma ke -in luenced educa ional sys ems.
2.1. P incipals as Key Rep esen a i es o Cus ome O ien a ion
Cus ome O ien a ion in educa ional se ings e lec s he ex en o which schools
p oac i ely espond o he needs and expec a ions o s uden s and pa en s. As key decision-
make s, p incipals play a cen al ole in shaping school policies, os e ing s ong ela ion-
ships wi h amilies, and ensu ing a posi i e school expe ience. Resea ch implies ha school
p incipals exhibi a highe deg ee o Cus ome O ien a ion compa ed o eache s, as hey
a e di ec ly esponsible o main aining pa en al sa is ac ion, enhancing he school’s public
image, and secu ing s uden en ollmen (Lubienski,2007). Unlike eache s, whose p ima y
ocus is on deli e ing ins uc ion, p incipals engage in b oade s a egic decision-making
ha includes assessing pa en al p e e ences, add essing conce ns, and implemen ing poli-
cies ha enhance s akeholde sa is ac ion (Fullan,2020). Cus ome O ien a ion aligns
wi h ans o ma ional leade ship p inciples (Yamma ino,1994), as p incipals inspi e and
engage pa en s and s uden s, os e ing a cul u e o us and sa is ac ion, c ea ing a mo e
engaged and sa is ied school communi y, ul ima ely con ibu ing o s uden success and
ins i u ional g ow h (Lei hwood & Jan zi,2005). A sys ema ic e iew o s udies om
2012 o
2022 indica es ha ans o ma ional school leade ship posi i ely impac s school
s a and cul u e, leading o inc eased mo i a ion and a mo e posi i e school en i onmen
(Wilson Heenan e al.,2023).
Hypo hesis 1 (H1: Cus ome O ien a ion—CuO).P incipals demons a e a highe deg ee o
sensi i i y ega ding Cus ome O ien a ion compa ed o o he school s a , due o hei g ea e
in ol emen in s a egic decision-making and pa en al engagemen .
Adm. Sci. 2025,15, 168 4 o 21
2.2. Compe i o O ien a ion in Ma ke ized Educa ion
Compe i o O ien a ion in educa ion e e s o how schools pe cei e, assess, and
espond o compe i i e dynamics wi hin he educa ional landscape. In inc easingly ma -
ke ized educa ion sys ems, school leade s a e asked wi h no only managing in e nal
ope a ions bu also ac ing as s a egic leade s, assessing compe i ion, and posi ioning hei
schools e ec i ely (Ball,2003), amed wi hin s a egic leade ship heo y (Hamb ick &
Mason,1984). This in ol es con inuously moni o ing i al schools, analyzing ma ke
ends, and making in o med s a egic decisions o enhance hei school’s appeal. Resea ch
sugges s ha p incipals and depu y p incipals a e ac i ely engaged in acking compe ing
schools and adap ing hei s a egies acco dingly, whe eas eache s o en ha e limi ed expo-
su e o hese compe i i e dynamics (Bose i,2004). To s eng hen hei ins i u ion’s ma ke
posi ion, p incipals employ a ious public ela ions and b anding s a egies, aiming o
enhance he school’s epu a ion and a ac p ospec i e s uden s (Wilkins,2012). Acco ding
o Ball e al. (2012), leade ship oles in educa ion now demand a heigh ened awa eness o
how schools compe e o s uden en ollmen , go e nmen unding, and public pe cep ion.
Mo e ecen esea ch indica es ha ans o ma ional leade s signi ican ly imp o e school
pe o mance by mo i a ing eache s, os e ing a collabo a i e cul u e, and inc easing s a
commi men (Sianipa ,2024). In his e ol ing landscape, he abili y o school leade s o
na iga e compe i ion e ec i ely has become a c i ical ac o in sus aining ins i u ional
success and g ow h.
Hypo hesis 2 (H2: Compe i o O ien a ion—CoO).P incipals pe cei e hei school’s compe i-
i e posi ion mo e a o ably han eache s, as hey ha e a b oade iew o school compe i ion and
ex e nal posi ioning.
2.3. The Role o P icipals in Aligning In e -Func ional Coo dina ion o Schools
In e -Func ional Coo dina ion (IFC) in educa ional se ings e e s o he e ec i eness
o collabo a ion among di e en depa men s and pe sonnel o achie e a school’s o e -
a ching objec i es, e lec ing he p inciples o dis ibu ed leade ship, which emphasizes
collabo a ion and sha ed decision-making (Spillane,2005) (Figu e 1). Resea ch in educa-
ional managemen emphasizes ha p incipals se e as pi o al leade s in aligning school
ope a ions ac oss a ious unc ions, ensu ing cohesion be ween adminis a i e, academic,
and ex acu icula domains. By os e ing s ong in e depa men al communica ion and
collabo a ion, p incipals play a c ucial ole in s eamlining school p ocesses and enhancing
ins i u ional e iciency. S udies indica e ha school p incipals ac i ely acili a e coope a ion
among s a , ensu ing ha key unc ions such as ma ke ing, cu iculum planning, s uden
suppo se ices, and pa en al engagemen a e s a egically aligned o suppo he school’s
mission and ision (Hallinge & Heck,1999). While depu y p incipals o en ocus on
disciplina y ma e s and adminis a i e asks, p incipals ake on a b oade ole in c oss-
unc ional in eg a ion, guiding e o s ha b idge di e en ope a ional a eas (Bush,2020).
In inc easingly compe i i e educa ion ma ke s, p incipals mus no only o e see in e nal
coo dina ion bu also ensu e ha hei ins i u ion ope a es as a cohesi e en i y capable
o adap ing o ex e nal demands. F om s uden ec ui men o cu iculum de elopmen ,
e ec i e In e -Func ional Coo dina ion enables schools o op imize esou ces, enhance
ins i u ional e ec i eness, and main ain a s ong, uni ied p esence in he educa ional land-
scape. Recen s udies unde sco e he signi icance o dis ibu ed leade ship. A sys ema ic
e iew highligh s ha dis ibu ed leade ship, cha ac e ized by sha ed esponsibili y and
collabo a ion, is i al o os e ing inno a i e p ac ices and enhancing school pe o mance
(Phillips e al.,2023).
Adm. Sci. 2025,15, 168 5 o 21
Adm. Sci. 2025, 15, x FOR PEER REVIEW 5 o 22
Hypo hesis 3 (H3: In e -Func ional Coo dina ion—IFC). P incipals exhibi highe In e -
Func ional Coo dina ion han depu y p incipals and eache s, as hey a e esponsible o aligning
school ope a ions and esponding o ex e nal expec a ions.
Figu e 1. In eg a ion o Cuo, CoO, and IFC in o leade ship ypologies. Au ho s’ wo k.
3. Ma e ials and Me hods
3.1. Da a Collec ion P ocedu e
This s udy employed a ques ionnai e, adap ed om he e sion c ea ed by Opla ka
and Hemsley-B own (Opla ka & Hemsley-B own, 2007). The ques ionnai e was i s
ansla ed in o G eek wi h an emphasis on ensu ing linguis ic accu acy and equi alence.
The adap ed e sion was subsequen ly independen ly ansla ed back in o English o en-
su e consis ency. The pilo es showed no issues wi h cla i y, cul u e, o comp ehension.
The digi al e sion o he e ised ques ionnai e, including a b ie explana o y ex con-
aining s udy in o ma ion and a consen s a emen , was de eloped using Google Fo ms.
To ga he he da a, he de eloped ques ionnai e was sen o seconda y school eache s in
G eece ia email, employing a c oss-sec ional andom sampling app oach, since pa ici-
pan s we e selec ed om he popula ion o seconda y school eache s in G eece wi hou
sys ema ic bias, and each membe o he popula ion had an equal chance o being in i ed
o pa icipa e. The lis o po en ial pa icipan s was d awn om a ailable school s aff di-
ec o ies ac oss a ious egions o G eece, ensu ing a geog aphically di e se and ep e-
sen a i e pool. Emails in i ing pa icipa ion we e sen ou o indi iduals on hese lis s,
independen o hei school, subjec a ea, o expe ience le el, ensu ing andomness. The
inclusion c i e ion was s aigh o wa d: pa icipan s had o be cu en ly employed in a
seconda y school in G eece a he ime o da a collec ion. The e we e no es ic ions ela ed
o subjec specializa ion, con ac ype, o yea s o eaching expe ience. The exclusion c i-
e ia in ol ed incomple e esponses o submissions ha lacked sufficien nume ical inpu
o be used in he s a is ical analysis. Responses wi h missing da a on key cons uc s o
wi h pa e ns sugges ing ina en i e esponding (e.g., iden ical answe s ac oss all i ems)
we e also excluded o main ain da a quali y.
Cus ome O ien a ion
Unde s anding and Responding
o S uden & Pa en Needs
Compe i o O ien a ion
Awa eness o o he Schools &
Compe i i e Posi ioning
In e -Func ional
Coo dina ion
Collabo a ion among
Depa men s and S a
T ans o ma ional
Leade ship
S a egic
Leade ship
Dis ibu ed
Leade ship
Visiona y Leade Ma ke Awa eness & Inno a ion Sha ed Responsibili ies
Quali ies o an E ec i e School P incipal
Figu e 1. In eg a ion o Cuo, CoO, and IFC in o leade ship ypologies. Au ho s’ wo k.
Hypo hesis 3 (H3: In e -Func ional Coo dina ion—IFC).P incipals exhibi highe In e -
Func ional Coo dina ion han depu y p incipals and eache s, as hey a e esponsible o aligning
school ope a ions and esponding o ex e nal expec a ions.
3. Ma e ials and Me hods
3.1. Da a Collec ion P ocedu e
This s udy employed a ques ionnai e, adap ed om he e sion c ea ed by Opla ka
and Hemsley-B own (Opla ka & Hemsley-B own,2007). The ques ionnai e was i s
ansla ed in o G eek wi h an emphasis on ensu ing linguis ic accu acy and equi alence.
The adap ed e sion was subsequen ly independen ly ansla ed back in o English o ensu e
consis ency. The pilo es showed no issues wi h cla i y, cul u e, o comp ehension. The
digi al e sion o he e ised ques ionnai e, including a b ie explana o y ex con aining
s udy in o ma ion and a consen s a emen , was de eloped using Google Fo ms. To ga he
he da a, he de eloped ques ionnai e was sen o seconda y school eache s in G eece ia
email, employing a c oss-sec ional andom sampling app oach, since pa icipan s we e
selec ed om he popula ion o seconda y school eache s in G eece wi hou sys ema ic
bias, and each membe o he popula ion had an equal chance o being in i ed o pa icipa e.
The lis o po en ial pa icipan s was d awn om a ailable school s a di ec o ies ac oss
a ious egions o G eece, ensu ing a geog aphically di e se and ep esen a i e pool.
Emails in i ing pa icipa ion we e sen ou o indi iduals on hese lis s, independen
o hei school, subjec a ea, o expe ience le el, ensu ing andomness. The inclusion
c i e ion was s aigh o wa d: pa icipan s had o be cu en ly employed in a seconda y
school in G eece a he ime o da a collec ion. The e we e no es ic ions ela ed o
subjec specializa ion, con ac ype, o yea s o eaching expe ience. The exclusion c i e ia
in ol ed incomple e esponses o submissions ha lacked su icien nume ical inpu o
be used in he s a is ical analysis. Responses wi h missing da a on key cons uc s o wi h
Adm. Sci. 2025,15, 168 6 o 21
pa e ns sugges ing ina en i e esponding (e.g., iden ical answe s ac oss all i ems) we e
also excluded o main ain da a quali y.
In e ms o demog aphic balancing, while he sampling was andom, e o s we e
made o ensu e a di e se and ep esen a i e sample ac oss gende , eaching expe ience,
subjec a ea, and geog aphical egion. Desc ip i e s a is ics o he inal sample (Sec ion 3.2)
we e checked o assess ep esen a i eness. The esul ing sample o 350 esponses ha we e
collec ed be ween May and July 2024 e lec ed a easonable balance o hese cha ac e is ics,
p o iding a solid ounda ion o gene alizing he indings o he b oade popula ion o
seconda y school educa o s in G eece.
3.2. Pa icipan s
The majo i y o pa icipan s in his s udy we e employed as eache s (78.7%,
247 indi iduals
), which aligned wi h he cen al ole educa o s play in he school sys-
em. A signi ican po ion also held leade ship posi ions: 6.7% (21 indi iduals) we e
school p incipals, and 5.7% (18 indi iduals) se ed as depu y p incipals. Addi ionally, 8.0%
(
25 indi iduals
) we e Special Educa ional Pe sonnel, including oles like special educa ion
eache s and counselo s. The gende dis ibu ion shows a p edominance o women (69.1%),
which e lec s common ends in he educa ional wo k o ce, pa icula ly in eaching oles.
The age dis ibu ion e eals a mo e expe ienced wo k o ce, wi h 33.0% (103 indi iduals)
being 55+ yea s old and signi ican numbe s o pa icipan s being in hei 40s and ea ly
50s. In e ms o educa ion, 84.7% (266 indi iduals) held a uni e si y deg ee, wi h 56.4%
(177 indi iduals) ha ing comple ed pos g adua e s udies, highligh ing a well-educa ed
sample. Mos pa icipan s esided in u ban a eas, wi h he la ges g oup li ing in capi al
ci ies and egional capi als. Rega ding p o essional expe ience, 46.5% (146 indi iduals)
had o e 20 yea s o eaching expe ience, sugges ing a highly expe ienced coho . Mos
esponden s wo ked in Gymnasiums (41.1%) o Gene al Lyceums (28.3%), indica ing ha
mos pa icipan s we e in ol ed in gene al seconda y educa ion. In e ms o employmen
s a us, 76.8% (241 indi iduals) we e pe manen s a .
3.3. Measu es
A 19-i em scale was used o assess Cus ome O ien a ion, while Compe i o O ien-
a ion and In e -Func ional Coo dina ion we e each measu ed using 7-i em scales. All
scales we e de eloped by Opla ka and Hemsley-B own (Opla ka & Hemsley-B own,2007).
Responses we e eco ded on a 7-poin Like scale, anging om 1 (s ongly disag ee)
o 7 (s ongly ag ee). The eliabili y analysis demons a ed s ong in e nal consis ency,
wi h C onbach’s Alpha alues o 0.910 o Cus ome O ien a ion, 0.848 o Compe i o
O ien a ion, and 0.821 o In e -Func ional Coo dina ion, indica ing excellen eliabili y
o he Cus ome O ien a ion scale and good eliabili y o he o he wo cons uc s, as
p esen ed in Table 1.
Table 1. Measu emen model esul s ( eliabili y and alidi y).
I em S a emen Loadings Reliabili y
Cus ome O ien a ion 0.910
cuo1 My school unde s ands he needs o child en 0.698
cuo2 My school ca es abou child en’s well being 0.676
cuo3 My school esponds o pa en s’ eques s e ec i ely 0.668
cuo4 My school mee s, o goes beyond he p omises i makes o pa en s 0.723
cuo5 My school unde s ands wha kind o schooling pa en s alue mos 0.678
cuo6 Pa en s a e gi en in o ma ion ha helps hem in unde s anding he kind o
schooling we ha e he e 0.685
Adm. Sci. 2025,15, 168 7 o 21
Table 1. Con .
I em S a emen Loadings Reliabili y
Cus ome O ien a ion 0.910
cuo7 Teache s in his school a e eage o help child en and go beyond hei
ole de ini ion 0.608
cuo8 Complain s by pa en s and s uden s a e deal wi h quickly 0.727
cuo9 The complain s p ocedu e is easy o pa en s and s uden s o unde s and 0.677
cuo10 Teache s a e egula ly p o ided wi h in o ma ion abou pa en s’ desi es and
iews o schooling 0.698
cuo11 Teache s a e a en i e o s uden s’ conce ns 0.688
cuo12 We encou age pa en s o o e cons uc i e posi i e commen s 0.629
cuo13 We encou age pa en s o o e cons uc i e nega i e eedback 0.481
cuo14 I eel commi ed o he school communi y 0.660
cuo15 My school measu es pa en s’ sa is ac ion e e y school yea 0.681
cuo16 My school measu es child en’s sa is ac ion e e y school yea 0.675
cuo17 A good eache is he one whose s uden s a e happy and sa is ied 0.320
cuo18 In my school pa en s’ iews o educa ion in luence he schooling p ocess 0.304
cuo19 Responding o pa en s’ and child en’s needs is my majo ask 0.436
Compe i o O ien a ion 0.848
coo1 Teache s always look a wha ’s going on in he o he schools in he a ea 0.696
coo2 The p incipal o en discusses he ac ions o o he schools in ou a ea 0.705
coo3 In o ma ion abou wha my colleagues in o he schools a e doing does help me
imp o e my eaching 0.628
coo4 My school usually esponds o o he schools’ new ini ia i es/de elopmen s 0.803
coo5 My school unde s ands he needs o s uden s be e han o he local schools 0.750
coo6 Ou schools unde s and he needs o pa en s and s uden s be e han o he
schools in he a ea 0.785
coo7 My school compa es a o ably wi h o he schools in he a ea 0.692
In e -Func ional Coo dina ion 0.821
i c1 All depa men s con ibu e o school ma ke ing 0.802
i c2 Teache s coope a e o p omo e he school image 0.724
i c3 Ma ke ing should no be he sole esponsibili y o school managemen 0.658
i c4 In depa men mee ings we discuss in o ma ion abou pa en s’ demands and
conce ns in o de o make imp o emen s 0.809
i c5 Ma ke ing in o ma ion is discussed and sha ed wi h eache s 0.875
i c6 Teache s a e no jus paid o each; hey need o also help o a ac
p ospec i e s uden s 0.888
i c7
The guiding ligh in cu iculum de elopmen o new ini ia i es is he demands o
he pa en s and s uden s 0.822
No es: Reliabili y is based on C onbach’s Alpha (a) coe icien . All ac o loadings epo ed a e s a is ically
signi ican (p< 0.001).
3.4. Da a Analysis P ocedu es
Ini ially, he alidi y and eliabili y o he measu es we e con i med using C onbach’s
Alpha (Hai e al.,2019) o assess in e nal consis ency and ac o loadings o e alua e
cons uc alidi y (Hulland,1999). Means and s anda d de ia ions we e calcula ed o
e alua e he le el o ag eemen wi h he s a emen s being examined. To es he hypo heses
ega ding he CuO, CoO, and IFC cons uc s, one-way ANOVA (Field,2017) was employed,
as all me hod assump ions we e sa is ied. The Games–Howell es , app op ia e o unequal
g oup sizes (Games & Howell,1976), was used o iden i y which g oups di e ed om each
o he . One-way ANOVA assessed he in luence o job posi ions on each i em. Howe e ,
unequal sample sizes and non-homogenei y o a iances ac oss oles diminish he s a is ical
powe o one-way ANOVA (Rus icus & Lo a o,2014). Consequen ly, o u he subs an ia e
he indings, he non-pa ame ic K uskal–Wallis (K uskal & Wallis,1952) es was also
employed. All es s we e pe o med wi h a signi icance le el o 0.05. All analyses we e
Adm. Sci. 2025,15, 168 8 o 21
conduc ed using IBM SPSS S a is ics 26.0, a so wa e package commonly used in social
esea ch (Field,2017).
4. Resul s
4.1. Reliabili y and Validi y
The measu emen model exhibi ed accep able le els o eliabili y and alidi y ac oss
he e alua ed cons uc s. The composi e eliabili y (CR) sco es o each cons uc su passed
he ecommended h eshold o 0.70, indica ing s ong in e nal consis ency: Cus ome
O ien a ion (0.910), Compe i o O ien a ion (0.848), and In e -Func ional Coo dina ion
(0.821) (Hai e al.,2019).
Mos i ems demons a ed loadings abo e he widely accep ed 0.50 h eshold, ein o c-
ing indica o eliabili y and cons uc alidi y (Hulland,1999). Howe e , a ew i ems unde
Cus ome O ien a ion (cuo13, cuo17, cuo18, and cuo19) exhibi ed loadings below 0.50. De-
spi e alling sho o he con en ional h eshold, hese i ems cap u e essen ial dimensions
o he cons uc , pa icula ly in a eas such as pa en al in ol emen in schooling and he
school’s esponsi eness o s akeholde sa is ac ion. Thei heo e ical signi icance jus i ies
hei inclusion, as hey con ibu e o he con en alidi y o he cons uc by e lec ing
b oade concep ual aspec s. The lowe loadings may be sample-speci ic, in luenced by
he unique cha ac e is ics o he da ase . Gi en he di e se expe iences and a ying le els
o engagemen wi hin he sample, e aining hese i ems ensu es ha c i ical nuances a e
p ese ed, o e ing a mo e comp ehensi e ep esen a ion o pe spec i es.
Despi e he p esence o a ew low-loading i ems, he o e all composi e eliabili y
o Cus ome O ien a ion emained high (CR = 0.910). The emaining i ems wi h s ong
loadings main ained in e nal consis ency, and he inclusion o lowe -loading i ems had
only a minimal e ec on o e all eliabili y (Hai e al.,2019).
The s ong eliabili y sco es, along wi h su icien indica o loadings o mos i ems,
con i m ha he cons uc s we e measu ed e ec i ely, p o iding meaning ul insigh s in o
he esponden s’ pe cep ions (Chu chill,1979). This consis ency unde sco es he obus ness
o he measu emen model and ein o ces he alignmen be ween heo e ical cons uc s and
empi ical da a, enhancing he c edibili y and applicabili y o he s udy’s indings.
4.2. Desc ip i e Analysis
Table 2p esen s he means and s anda d de ia ions o he a iables ac oss job posi ion
ca ego ies. Acco ding o hese esul s, p incipals consis en ly epo ed he highes mean
sco es ac oss CuO i ems, highligh ing hei s ong ocus on add essing he needs o s u-
den s, pa en s, and he b oade school communi y. Thei leade ship ole likely equi es
hem o engage mo e deeply wi h s akeholde s, implemen s uden -cen e ed policies, and
ensu e o e all sa is ac ion. Special educa ion eache s ended o ha e he lowes CuO
sco es, which may e lec di e ences in hei esponsibili ies. Thei wo k is o en mo e spe-
cialized, ocusing on indi idual s uden needs a he han b oade cus ome engagemen .
Addi ionally, hey may ha e less di ec in e ac ion wi h ex e nal s akeholde s compa ed o
school leade ship oles. cuo15, cuo16, and cuo18 exhibi ed lowe means ac oss all g oups,
indica ing po en ial challenges in hese speci ic aspec s o Cus ome O ien a ion.
Ac oss all oles, Compe i o O ien a ion was ela i ely weake , sugges ing ha schools
and educa o s p io i ize in e nal se ice quali y o e benchma king agains compe i o s.
This aligns wi h he educa ion sec o ’s adi ional ocus on s uden ou comes a he han
ex e nal ma ke posi ioning. Depu y p incipals and p incipals epo ed ela i ely highe
CoO sco es han eache s, likely due o hei in ol emen in school imp o emen s a egies,
policy decisions, and ex e nal compa isons wi h o he ins i u ions. Thei s a egic oles
may equi e g ea e awa eness o compe ing schools’ o e ings and inno a ions. coo5 and
Adm. Sci. 2025,15, 168 15 o 21
iza ion o ma ke -o ien ed beha io s, such as compe i i e posi ioning o cus ome espon-
si eness, ea u es mo e commonly ound in decen alized sys ems. S udies in England
(Woods e al.,2007) and Sweden (Lundahl e al.,2013) ha e demons a ed ha school
leade s ope a ing unde quasi-ma ke condi ions adop mo e en ep eneu ial p ac ices,
d i en by compe i i e unding models and pa en al choice. In con as , G eek school
leade ship appea s mo e cons ained, unc ioning wi hin a logic o compliance a he han
s a egy (Sai i & Fassoulis,2012).
The Cus ome O ien a ion indings e lec his s uc u al ension. P incipals consis-
en ly epo ed he highes mean sco es ac oss CuO i ems, emphasizing hei s ong ocus
on add essing he needs o s uden s, pa en s, and he b oade school communi y. This
is o be expec ed, as leade ship oles inhe en ly in ol e s akeholde engagemen , policy
implemen a ion, and ensu ing o e all school sa is ac ion (Ko e ,1995), bu i also aligns
wi h p io esea ch ha posi ions school leade s as bounda y-spanne s who in e p e and
media e ex e nal demands (Hallinge ,2011;Lei hwood e al.,2020). Special educa ion
eache s ypically exhibi ed he lowes CuO sco es. This may no be a ibu ed o a lack o
conce n o cus ome s, bu a he due o he specialized na u e o hei posi ions, which
emphasizes indi idualized suppo o s uden s o e ex ensi e cus ome engagemen
(F iend & Bu suck,2011).
Ce ain CuO aspec s, such as cuo15 (measu ing pa en al sa is ac ion), cuo16 (mea-
su ing s uden sa is ac ion), and cuo18 (pa en al in luence on schooling), exhibi ed lowe
means ac oss all g oups, sugges ing ha schools may no sys ema ically ack o in eg a e
cus ome eedback in o hei decision-making p ocesses.
The ANOVA esul s highligh signi ican di e ences in a eas like mee ing pa en al
expec a ions (p< 0.001), handling complain s (p< 0.001), and unde s anding pa en s’ needs
(p= 0.007), whe e p incipals ake he lead. C oss- ole di e ences in hese i ems echo
indings by Bush and Glo e (2014), who a gue ha leade ship engagemen wi h pa en s
is s ongly media ed by ole expec a ions and ins i u ional posi ioning. Non-signi ican
p- alues in eedback mechanisms sugges a need o imp o emen in s uc u ed eedback
collec ion (Sahlbe g,2016).
While esponden s gene ally a i med he impo ance o unde s anding s uden
needs (cuo5 and cuo6), he a ia ion be ween oles may indica e ha his o ien a ion
is in e p e ed mo e as an e hical commi men han as a s a egic ool, e lec ing wha
Ha g ea es and Fullan
(2012) e m he “mo al impe a i e” o eaching. This e hical am-
ing, while admi able, may limi he use o da a and eedback o con inuous se ice
imp o emen , which is cen al o ma ke -o ien ed hinking in educa ion sys ems like hose
o New Zealand (Wylie,2012) and he US (Be ends e al.,2009). In o he wo ds, p incipals
and eache s may sha e a common unde s anding o se ing s uden s bu lack he s uc u al
means o sys ema ically ac on di e en ia ed needs, a co ne s one o Cus ome O ien a ion
in he p i a e sec o .
Compe i o O ien a ion sco es we e gene ally lowe and uni o m ac oss oles, indica -
ing a cul u al ambi alence, i no esis ance, o ma ke -based compa isons. This is consis en
wi h p io in e na ional indings ha show ha public educa o s o en iew compe i ion as
an i he ical o collabo a ion and equi y (Ball,2003;Gewi z e al.,1995). CoO cha ac e is ics
also sugges ha G eek public schools p io i ize in e nal se ice quali y o e benchma king
agains compe i o s. This aligns wi h adi ional educa ional alues, which ocus mo e on
s uden ou comes han on ma ke -based compa isons (Ha g ea es & Fullan,2012).
P incipals had mode a ely high CoO sco es, ye he ANOVA esul s (p= 0.533) in-
dica ed no signi ican di e ences be ween oles. The only signi ican i em, “My school
compa es a o ably wi h o he schools” (p= 0.022), sugges s ha p incipals a e mo e awa e
o hei school’s ma ke posi ioning han eache s. Howe e , lowe sco es in coo5
(p= 0.055)
Adm. Sci. 2025,15, 168 16 o 21
and coo6 (p= 0.943) sugges ha e en school leade s may no s ongly di e en ia e hei in-
s i u ions based on a supe io unde s anding o s uden needs. This inding may e lec he
b oade educa ion sec o ’s adi ional emphasis on pedagogical quali y o e compe i i e
ma ke posi ioning (Lubienski,2006).
The esul s o In e -Func ional Coo dina ion, he lowes - a ed dimension o e all, a e
e en mo e elling. Ac oss job oles, IFC was a ed lowe , sugges ing ha collabo a ion
ac oss depa men s, eams, o ex e nal s akeholde s is unde de eloped. IFC equi es a
le el o s a egic alignmen and sha ed da a sys ems ha a e a ely p esen in cen alized
bu eauc acies. Resea ch om Finland and Canada has shown ha e ec i e IFC p ac ices
a e o en unde pinned by digi al in as uc u es, dis ibu ed leade ship models, and pa -
icipa o y decision-making, all cu en ly unde de eloped in he G eek con ex (S oll &
Tempe ley,2010). The ac ha depu y p incipals epo ed he lowes IFC sco es may
indica e a leade ship dis ibu ion gap, sugges ing ha school leade ship eams a e no
always ope a ing as cohesi e s a egic uni s.
P incipals epo ed he highes IFC mean (4.87), highligh ing hei s onge in ol e-
men in c oss- unc ional collabo a ion, ye hese sco es s ill indica e oom o imp o emen .
ANOVA esul s (p= 0.012) sugges signi ican di e ences, pa icula ly in ma ke ing in-
o ma ion sha ing (i c5, p= 0.047) and aligning cu icula wi h pa en al/s uden demands
(i c7, p= 0.036). Close- o-signi ican esul s o i c6 (p= 0.051) and i c4 (p= 0.058) u he
sugges ha p incipals ecognize he need o eache s o con ibu e o school ma ke ing
and in eg a e pa en al conce ns in o decision-making (B yk e al.,2002).
Special educa ion eache s sco ed simila ly o p incipals (4.86), likely due o hei need
o collabo a e wi h a ious eams, including he apis s, gene al educa o s, and suppo
s a (F iend & Cook,2009).
O e all, compa ed o sys ems whe e school au onomy and compe i ion a e embedded
(e.g., he UK, Sweden, and New Zealand), he G eek con ex shows a mo e eluc an and
cons ained engagemen wi h ma ke o ien a ion. Opla ka’s (2007) wo k on educa ional
ma ke ing unde sco es how policy en i onmen s shape leade ship beha io s; whe eas
g ea e au onomy b eeds en ep eneu ial leade ship, cons ained sys ems end o p oduce
mo e eac i e o compliance-based beha io s. Simila ly, Lubienski (2007) con ends ha
ma ke logics a e il e ed h ough exis ing p o essional no ms and ins i u ional a ange-
men s. On he o he side, Sai i and Fassoulis (2012) a gue ha G eek p incipals o en iew
manage ial p ac ices h ough a lens o necessi y a he han inno a ion.
Ou indings sugges an emphasis on ela ional leade ship and p o essional e hics
o e s a egic ma ke hinking. The mode a ely high CuO sco es e lec a genuine conce n
o s uden wel a e, bu no necessa ily h ough a lens o esponsi eness o s akeholde
compe i ion o ma ke demand. P incipals do p io i ize s uden and pa en wel a e, bu
his is no accompanied by a s a egic amewo k o s akeholde engagemen , eedback
analysis, o se ice inno a ion. This is consis en wi h Tsiakki os and Pashia dis (2002), who
ound ha G eek p incipals o en ac mo e as “policy en o ce s” han as “
s a egic leade s”.
Na ional educa ion policy could e ol e o suppo g ea e school-le el au onomy, es-
pecially in a eas such as in e nal budge ing, ex e nal communica ion, and cu iculum adap-
a ion. Policies encou aging pa icipa o y go e nance and eedback in eg a ion, as seen in
sys ems like Finland (Sahlbe g,2016), could os e a cul u e o s a egic esponsi eness.
Ul ima ely, i school leade s a e o ac as agen s o inno a ion a he han compliance,
hey need bo h he au ho i y and he capaci y o in e p e and ac on s akeholde needs,
di e en ia e hei school’s o e ings, and os e collabo a i e cul u es wi hin and ac oss
school bounda ies.
Adm. Sci. 2025,15, 168 17 o 21
5.2. Implica ions o Leade ship T aining and De elopmen
The p ac ical implica ions o educa ional leade ship de elopmen a e subs an ial.
Cu en leade ship de elopmen p og ams in G eece end o emphasize adminis a i e
compe ence o e s a egic ision. To mo e owa d a mo e s a egically ma ke -o ien ed
educa ional leade ship model, leade ship aining p og ams in G eece need o mo e
beyond bu eauc a ic compliance and os e adap i e, s a egic, and collabo a i e capaci ies.
D awing on models om On a io (Lei hwood e al.,2020) and Singapo e (Ng,2013),
leade ship p epa a ion should include he ollowing:
•
Me hods o s akeholde analysis and engagemen p omo ing cus ome - ocused lead-
e ship: Using da a o unde s and and espond o s uden , pa en , and communi y
needs ( aining in da a-d i en decision-making).
•
S a egic communica ion and school b anding: This is especially impo an in con ex s
wi h declining en ollmen o inc eased pa en al choice.
•
In e - unc ional collabo a ion: De eloping in e nal sys ems o eamwo k ac oss de-
pa men s and ex e nal pa ne ships wi h local communi ies and au ho i ies ( aining
in echniques o collabo a i e school imp o emen planning).
•
C i ical policy li e acy: Leade s should be able o na iga e cen alized cons ain s
while iden i ying windows o oppo uni y o localized inno a ion.
•Ma ke ing and communica ion skills ailo ed o educa ional con ex s.
Howe e , such aining mus be con ex -sensi i e, a oiding he wholesale adop ion
o manage ial models om o he sys ems. The goal is no o u n schools in o busi-
nesses, bu o equip school leade s wi h s a egic ools ha enhance equi y, esponsi eness,
and esilience.
5.3. Limi a ions o he S udy/Fu u e Resea ch Di ec ions
Se e al limi a ions mus be acknowledged, which also poin o impo an di ec ions
o u u e esea ch.
•
The esea ch design was c oss-sec ional, cap u ing educa o s’ a i udes and pe cep ions
a a single poin in ime. This es ic s he abili y o in e causal ela ionships o obse e
how o ien a ions owa d ma ke ing concep s, such as cus ome ocus, compe i o
awa eness, and In e -Func ional Coo dina ion, may shi o e ime, especially in
esponse o policy changes, leade ship de elopmen p og ams, o b oade educa ional
e o ms. Longi udinal esea ch would be aluable in cap u ing he dynamic and
po en ially e ol ing na u e o hese o ien a ions.
•
The sample included only public seconda y schools in G eece, omi ing p i a e ins i-
u ions, whe e g ea e au onomy and exposu e o compe i i e p essu es may os e
di e en ma ke ing beha io s. The indings, he e o e, canno be gene alized ac oss
all educa ional sec o s.
•
The unequal g oup sizes in he sample, pa icula ly be ween p incipals and o he
school s a , may ha e in oduced s a is ical imbalances ha heigh ened he isk o
Type II e o s in he ANOVA analyses. Al hough he use o Games–Howell pos hoc
es s and non-pa ame ic iangula ion wi h K uskal–Wallis es s helped o mi iga e
hese issues, he po en ial o educed s a is ical powe should be acknowledged.
•
The eliance on sel - epo ed quan i a i e da a limi s he dep h o insigh in o how ed-
uca o s in e p e o enac ma ke ing concep s in hei daily p ac ices. In a p o essional
cul u e ha o en emphasizes adminis a i e compliance and collec i e ha mony, pa -
icipan s may unde epo compe i i e o s a egic beha io s due o social desi abili y
bias. The absence o quali a i e da a, such as in e iews o e hnog aphic obse a ions,
Adm. Sci. 2025,15, 168 18 o 21
also means ha he s udy could no cap u e he con ex ual, nuanced, o emo ionally
embedded dimensions o leade ship and ma ke ing beha io .
Gi en hese limi a ions, u u e esea ch should conside mixed-me hod app oaches
ha combine quan i a i e assessmen s wi h in-dep h quali a i e in es iga ions. Such de-
signs would allow o a iche unde s anding o how school leade s in e p e , nego ia e, and
apply ma ke ing p inciples in p ac ice. Compa a i e s udies ac oss cen alized e sus de-
cen alized educa ion sys ems could also p o ide aluable insigh s in o how s uc u al and
policy en i onmen s shape he up ake o s a egic o ien a ions. Mo eo e , inco po a ing
longi udinal designs would enable esea che s o ace how o ien a ions change o e ime,
pa icula ly in esponse o leade ship aining, policy e o ms, o b oade socie al shi s.
Ul ima ely, a mo e holis ic esea ch agenda ha in eg a es o ganiza ional, cul u al,
and policy-le el analyses is needed o ully unde s and he ole o ma ke ing in educa ional
leade ship, especially in con ex s like G eece, whe e ma ke logic is only g adually being
in oduced in o public educa ion.
5.4. Con ibu ions o Educa ional Leade ship Theo y and P ac ice
This s udy con ibu es meaning ully o educa ional leade ship heo y by ein o cing
he impo ance o con ex ualized leade ship models. I challenges assump ions ha ma ke
o ien a ion is uni e sally applicable o bene icial, showing ins ead how cul u al alues
and policy s uc u es shape he enac men o leade ship o ien a ions. I suppo s Bush and
Glo e ’s (2014) call o leade ship amewo ks ha a e lexible, cul u ally embedded, and
e hically g ounded.
In e ms o school managemen p ac ice, he s udy p o ides diagnos ic insigh : G eek
schools may p io i ize s uden wel a e (CuO) bu lack he s a egic and collabo a i e
sys ems (CoO and IFC) needed o h i e in inc easingly complex en i onmen s. Add essing
hese gaps equi es no only leade ship aining bu also policy e o ms ha g an g ea e
school au onomy, incen i ize inno a ion, and suppo dis ibu ed leade ship p ac ices.
6. Conclusions
This s udy in es iga ed he pe cep ions o Cus ome O ien a ion (CuO), Compe i i e
O ien a ion (CoO), and In e -Func ional Coo dina ion (IFC) ac oss di e en job oles in
G eek schools, wi h a ocus on iden i ying di e ences shaped by leade ship posi ion.
The indings highligh he s ong Cus ome O ien a ion o p incipals, hei mode a e
Compe i o O ien a ion, and he ela i ely low In e -Func ional Coo dina ion ac oss oles.
The signi ican di e ences obse ed in Cus ome O ien a ion sugges ha p incipals a e
highly engaged in s akeholde in e ac ions, bu eedback collec ion mechanisms equi e
imp o emen . Simila ly, In e -Func ional Coo dina ion emains an a ea o de elopmen ,
pa icula ly in leade ship-d i en collabo a ion e o s.
In e es ingly, while CoO did no di e signi ican ly ac oss oles, p incipals did a e
hei schools a o ably compa ed o o he s, pa icula ly on he i em e lec ing compa a i e
pe cep ion. Howe e , he absence o s ong dis inc ions on CoO i ems ela ed o s uden
needs sugges s an unde lying cul u al esis ance o ma ke -based compe i ion wi hin he
G eek educa ional landscape. This aligns wi h b oade policy dynamics in G eece, whe e
cen alized go e nance, egali a ian no ms, and limi ed ins i u ional au onomy con inue o
shape leade ship beha io and s a egic posi ioning.
The esul s indica e ha school leade s in G eece may alue cus ome esponsi e-
ness and collabo a ion, bu emain cau ious o cons ained in emb acing compe i i e,
ma ke -o ien ed p ac ices. This ension unde sco es he impo ance o designing leade -
ship de elopmen p og ams ha add ess no only adminis a i e skills bu also s a egic
hinking, ma ke ing acumen, and cul u al sensi i i y. Fu u e p incipals should be ained
Adm. Sci. 2025,15, 168 19 o 21
o na iga e he delica e balance be ween esponsi eness o educa ional s akeholde s and
he e hical dilemmas o compe i ion wi hin public educa ion sys ems.
Despi e i s con ibu ions, he s udy has limi a ions, including i s eliance on sel -
epo ed pe cep ions and small sample sizes among g oups. Fu u e esea ch could explo e
hese dynamics h ough quali a i e app oaches ha p obe how cul u al alues, policy
en i onmen s, and school con ex s in e ac o shape leade ship o ien a ions.
Fu he mo e, compa a i e s udies ac oss di e en educa ional sys ems, especially
hose unde going decen aliza ion o ma ke e o ms, could deepen ou unde s anding
o how compe i i e and cus ome -d i en models a e in e p e ed globally. Finally, u u e
esea ch should explo e how CuO, CoO, and IFC co ela e wi h ac ual school ou comes,
such as s uden sa is ac ion, en ollmen ends, o s a collabo a ion me ics, o be e
assess hei p ac ical implica ions o educa ional e ec i eness.
O e all, his s udy ad ances he heo e ical discou se on educa ional leade ship by
con ex ualizing s a egic o ien a ions wi hin a speci ic cul u al and policy amewo k,
o e ing aluable insigh s in o he p ac ical challenges and oppo uni ies ha school leade s
ace in na iga ing 21s -cen u y educa ional demands.
Au ho Con ibu ions: Concep ualiza ion, E.P.; me hodology, E.P. and P.S.; so wa e, I.A. and
K.S.; alida ion, P.S.; o mal analysis, I.A. and K.S.; in es iga ion, E.P.; da a cu a ion, I.A. and K.S.;
w i ing—o iginal d a p epa a ion, E.P.; w i ing— e iew and edi ing, E.P.; supe ision, P.S.; p ojec
adminis a ion, P.S. All au ho s ha e ead and ag eed o he published e sion o he manusc ip .
Funding: This esea ch ecei ed no ex e nal unding.
Ins i u ional Re iew Boa d S a emen : The s udy was conduc ed in acco dance wi h he Decla a ion
o Helsinki, and app o ed by Di ec o a e o Seconda y Educa ion o Kozani’s P e ec u e (p o ocol
code F.15.2/4229 and 3 d June 2024).
In o med Consen S a emen : In o med consen was ob ained om all subjec s in ol ed in he s udy.
Da a A ailabili y S a emen : The aw da a suppo ing he conclusions o his a icle will be made
a ailable by he au ho s on eques .
Con lic s o In e es : The au ho s decla e no con lic o in e es .
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