The Co-Principalship: An Alternative to the Traditional Principalship

A co-principal leadership model, where two individuals serve in one leadership position, is considered a special case of distributing leadership (Gronn & Hamilton, 2004). The co-principal leadership model has been suggested as an alternative organizational form that re-structures the role of the principal by enhancing the positive aspects of the position (Chirichello, 2003; Grubb & Flessa, 2006). The purpose of this study is to compare traditional principals and co-principals with regard to their experiences of role conflict, role commitment and job satisfaction. The co-principal model may be a viable option for addressing the demanding and stressful nature of the principalship if co-principals experience less role conflict and more job satisfaction than traditional principals. The results of this comparison provide a first step toward understanding the benefits of this shared leadership model.