PRINCIPALS’ ORGANIZATIONAL JUSTICE AND VICE PRINCIPALS’ WORK BEHAVIOURS IN ANAMBRA STATE: A CORRELATION OF PRINCIPALS’ INTERACTIONAL JUSTICE AND VICE PRINCIPALS’ ORGANIZATIONAL CITIZENSHIP AND TURNOVER INTENTION BEHAVIOURS IN PUBLIC SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN A

Abstract

The relationship between principals and vice principals in Nigeria, particularly in Anambra State, has received very scant attention in empirical research. Moreover, the treatment vice principals receive from principals, especially in relation to principals’ interactional justice and how this treatment influences vice principals’ attitudes and behaviours at work, is rarely considered by anyone in the schools and in research studies. This study, therefore, sought to determine how principals’ interactional justice affects vice principals’ work behaviours in Anambra State.  It was a correlational study involving all principals and vice principals from the 266 public secondary schools in Anambra State. The total population was 798 participants, comprising 266 principals and 532 vice principals. The census technique was used to draw a sample of 532 Vice Principals, comprising 266 Vice Principals Administration (VP Admins.) and 266 Vice Principals Academics (VP Acads.). One research question and one hypothesis were postulated. Two instruments, namely, the Principals’ Organizational Interactional Justice Scale for Vice Principals (POIJSVP) and the Vice Principals’ Work Behaviours Scale (VPWBS), were used for data collection. The instruments were validated by three research experts from the Faculty of Education, Nnamdi Azikiwe University Awka. The instruments were pilot-tested on 20 public secondary school vice principals in Enugu State. The Cronbach's Alpha reliability test was used to analyze data collected from the 20 vice principals. This yielded a reliability coefficient of 0.80. The instruments were thereafter administered to the 532 vice principals (VP Admins. and VP Acads.) in Anambra State. A total of 500 completely filled questionnaires were retrieved from the 532 administered. It yielded a 94% return rate. A simple regression analysis was used to determine the predictive value of the results on vice principals’ work behaviours. The analysis showed that principals’ interactional justice moderately predicted vice principals’ work behaviours in schools. This prediction was also found to be significant to vice principals’ work behaviours. It was recommended that principals in Anambra State public secondary schools should treat vice principals as their friends and colleagues rather than subordinates or rivals. Principals in Anambra State public secondary schools should interact with principals in a respectful and dignified manner, so that other school members would do likewise towards vice principals, thereby boosting vice principals' work behaviours in the schools.