To what extent do divided cities characterized by geopolitical conflicts and a variety of contradictory expectations create a distinctive context and a unique professional conflict for individuals holding boundary-spanning roles? Data collected in a set of in-depth interviews conducted with school principals leading Arab schools located in East Jerusalem provide evidence for principals’ stress following the large and various number of role expectations they are expected to satisfy. The data testify to principals’ exposure to a hybrid role conflict—a unique conflict reflecting a mixture of incongruent expectations regarding a particular issue coming from both internal and external sources representing different sets of values. Moreover, it is evident that hybrid conflicts suggesting a clash between competing values and ideologies foster principals’ tendency to employ a radical coping strategy based on a cost–benefit minimal risk approach and to act deceitfully as means to diminish their stress. The study demonstrates the significance of contextual features that frame the scope for individuals’ professional behavior when serving in boundary-spanning roles and discusses some implications of hybrid conflicts for professional judgment and behavior.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
Al-HajM. (1995). Education empowerment and control: The case of Arabs in Israel.Albany: State University of New York Press.
2.
Al-RamahiN., & DavisB. (2002). Changing primary education in Palestine: Pulling in several directions.International Studies in Sociology of Education,12, 59–76.
3.
AugaM., HassonS., NasrallahR., & StetterS. (Eds.). (2005). Divided cities in transition: Challenges facing Jerusalem and Berlin.Jerusalem: Friedrich Ebert Stiftung.
4.
BacharachS. B., BambergerP., & MitchellS. (1990). Work design, role conflict and role ambiguity: The case of elementary and secondary schools.Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis,12, 415–432.
5.
BacharachS. B., BauerS. C., & ConleyS. (1986). Organizational analysis of stress: The case of elementary and secondary schools.Work and Occupations,13, 7–32.
6.
BarczakG., & WilemonD. (1991). Communications patterns of new product development team leaders.IEEE Transaction on Engineering Management,38(2), 101–109.
7.
BollensS. A. (1998). Urban planning amidst ethnic conflict: Jerusalem and Johannesburg.Urban Studies,35, 729–750.
8.
BollensS. A. (2002). Urban planning and intergroup conflict: Confronting a fractured public interest.Urban Planning and Intergroup Conflict,68, 22–39.
9.
BromleyD. J. (1986). The case study method in psychology and related disciplines.New York: Wiley.
10.
BrookoverW. B., & GottliebD. (1964). A sociology of education (2nd ed.). New York: American Book Company.
11.
ChoshenM. (2005). Demographic processes in polarized cities: The case of Jerusalem. In AugaM., HassonS., NasrallahR., & StetterS. (Eds.), Divided cities in transition: Challenges facing Jerusalem and Berlin (pp. 3–34). Jerusalem: Friedrich Ebert Stiftung.
12.
ChrispeelsJ. H., MartinK. J., HarariI., StraitC. C., & RodarteM. A. (1999). Role conflict and role ambiguity: The challenges of team leadership at a middle school.Journal of School Leadership,9, 422–453.
13.
CohenH. (2007). The rise and fall of Arab Jerusalem, 1967–2007.Jerusalem: Jerusalem Institute for Israel Studies.
14.
ColdrenA. F., & SpillaneJ. P. (2007). Making connections to teaching practice: The role of boundary practices in instructional leadership.Educational Policy,21, 369–396.
15.
CranstonN., EhrichL., & KimberM. (2006). Ethical dilemmas: The “bread and butter” of educational leaders’ lives.Journal of Educational Administration,44(2), 106–121.
16.
CrowG. M., & GlascockC. (1995). Socialization to a new conception of the principalship.Journal of Educational Administration,33, 22–44.
17.
De CroonE. M., SluiterJ. K., & BlonkR. W. B. (2004). Stressful work, psychological job strain, and turnover: A 2-year prospective cohort study of truck drivers.Journal of Applied Psychology,89, 442–454.
18.
EyalO., BerkovichI., & SchwartzT. (in press). Making right choices: Ethical judgments among educational leaders.Journal of Educational Administration.
19.
ForsterN. (1994). The analysis of company documentation. In CasselC., & SymonG. (Eds.), Qualitative methods in organization research (pp. 148–160). London: Sage.
20.
FriedmanR. A., & PolonyJ. (1992). Differentiation of boundary spanning roles: Labor negotiations and implications for role conflict.Administrative Science Quarterly,37, 28–47.
21.
HouseR. J., & RizzoJ. R. (1972). Role conflict and ambiguity as critical variables in a model of organizational behavior.Organizational Behavior and Human Performance,7, 467–505.
22.
JacksonS. E., & SchulerR. S. (1985). A meta-analysis and conceptual critique of research on role ambiguity and role conflict in work settings.Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes,36, 16–78.
23.
JohnsonK. L., & DuxburyL. (2010). The view from the field: A case study of the expatriate boundary-spanning role.Journal of World Business,45, 29–40.
24.
KahnR. L., WolfD. M., QuinnR. P., SnoekJ. D., & RosenthalR. A. (1964). Organizational stress: Studies of role conflict and ambiguity.New York: Wiley.
25.
KhamaisiR. (1996). The Israeli–Palestinian conflict: Building the future Palestine.Eurasian Geography and Economics,51, 716–732.
26.
KleinM. (2003). The Jerusalem problem: The struggle for permanent status.Gainesville: University Press of Florida.
27.
KleinM. (2005). Old and new walls in Jerusalem.Political Geography,24, 53–76.
28.
KliotN., & MansfeldY. (1997). The political landscape of partition: The case of Cyprus.Political Geography,16(6), 495–521.
29.
LambertV., & LambertC. (2001). Literature review of role stress/strain on nurses: An international perspective.Nursing and Health Sciences,3, 161–172.
30.
LazarusR., & FolkmanS. (1984). Stress, appraisal and coping.New York: Springer.
31.
LevinaN., & KaneA. A. (2009, February). Immigrant managers as boundary spanners on offshored software development projects: Partners or bosses? Proceedings of the 2009 International Workshop on Intercultural Collaboration, Palo Alto, CA.
32.
LuborskyM. R. (1994). The identification and analysis of themes and patterns. In GubiumJ. F., & SmakarA. (Eds.), Qualitative methods in aging research (pp. 189–210). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
MartonF. (1988). Phenomenology: A research approach to investigate different understandings of reality. In ShermanR. R., & WebbR. B. (Eds.), Qualitative research in education: Focus and methods (pp. 143–161). London: Falmer Press.
35.
McGlynnC., NiensU., CairnsE., & HewstoneM. (2004). Moving out of conflict: The contribution of integrated schools in Northern Ireland to identity, attitudes, forgiveness and reconciliation.Journal of Peace Education,1(2), 147–161.
36.
MertonR. K. (1957). Social theory and social structure.Glencoe, IL: Free Press.
37.
MilesR. (1976). Role requirements as sources of organizational stress.Journal of Applied Psychology,61(2), 172–179.
38.
NassrallahR. (2003). Divided cities: Trends of separation and integration. In FriedmanA., & NasrallahR. (Eds.), Divided cities in transition.Jerusalem: International Peace and Cooperation Center.
39.
NirA. E. (2003). The impact of school-based management on supervision instructors’ professional considerations.International Journal of Educational Management,17(2), 49–58.
40.
NirA. E., & EyalO. (2003). School-based management and the role conflict of the school superintendent.Journal of Educational Administration,41, 547–564.
41.
OlkM. E., & FriedlanderM. L. (1992). Trainees’ experiences of role conflict and role ambiguity in supervisory relationships.Journal of Counseling Psychology,39, 389–397.
42.
OplatkaI. (2002). The emergence of educational marketing: Lessons from the experiences of Israeli principals.Comparative Education Review,46, 211–233.
43.
PatonM. Q. (1990). Qualitative evaluation and research methods (2nd ed.). Newbury Park, CA: Sage.
44.
ReissmanC. K. (1993). Narrative analysis.Newbury Park, CA: Sage.
45.
RizzoJ. R., HouseR. J., & LirtzmanS. I. (1970). Role conflict and ambiguity in complex organizations.Administrative Sciences Quarterly,15, 150–163.
46.
Sa'arA. (2007). Contradictory location: Assessing the position of Palestinian women citizens of Israel.Journal of Middle East Women's Studies,3(3), 45–74.
47.
SackR. D. (1986). Human territoriality: Its theory and history.Cambridge, UK: Press Syndicate of the University of Cambridge.
48.
SafierM. (2001). The Jerusalemite question.Palestine-Israel Journal of Politics Economics and Culture,8(3), 47–63.
49.
SchulerR. S. (1975). Role perceptions, satisfaction and performance: A partial reconciliation.Journal of Applied Psychology,60, 683–687.
50.
SchulerR. S. (1977). Role perceptions, satisfaction and performance moderated by organization level and participation in decision making.Academy of Management,20, 159–165.
51.
SinghB., AgarwalaU. N., & MalhanN. K. (1999). The nature of managerial role conflict. In KumarP., & GhoshA. K. (Eds.), Industrial psychology management (pp. 164–193). New Delhi, India: Anomal.
52.
SonnentagS., KuttlerI., & FritzC. (2010). Job stressors, emotional exhaustion, and need for recovery: A multi-source study on the benefits of psychological detachment.Journal of Vocational Behavior,76, 355–365.
53.
SpectorP. E., DwyerD. J., & JexS. M. (1988). Relation of job stressors to affective health performance outcomes: A comparison of multiple data sources.Journal of Applied Psychology,73, 11–19.
54.
StraussA., & CorbinJ. (1990). Basics of qualitative research.Newbury Park, CA: Sage.
55.
TaylorS. J., & BogdanR. (1984). Introduction to qualitative research methods: The search for meaning.New York: Wiley.
56.
Van SellM., BriefA. P., & SchulerR. S. (1981). Role conflict and role ambiguity: Integration of the literature and directions for future research.Human Relations,34, 43–71.
57.
VorganY. (2006). Education in East Jerusalem.Jerusalem: Knesset. (In Hebrew)
58.
YairG., & AlayanS. (2009). Paralysis at the top of a roaring volcano: Israel and the schooling of the Palestinians in East Jerusalem.Comparative Education Review,53, 235–257.
59.
ZaccaroS. J., & KlimoskiR. (2002). The interface of leadership and team processes.Group and Organization Management,27, 4–13.
60.
ZapfD. (2002). Emotion work and psychological strain. A review of the literature and some conceptual considerations.Human Resource Management Review,12, 237–268.
