Conflict, Communication, and Organizational Culture
Monica R. Woods
University of Phoenix
CONFLICT, COMMUNICATION, AND ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE / 1Conflict, Communication, and Organizational Culture
Introduction
A Christian education at Dayton Christian School System (DCSS) seeks to reveal the treasures for the young minds that are entrusted in our care. This is done, in part, by partnering with parents and local churches as we recognize the importance of relationship and working together to raise up the next generation of godly men and women who will influence the world in the paths God have planned for them. Colossians 2:3 states, "In Christ are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge." is the main focus for Dayton Christian School System
Since its foundation, Christian principles have been integrated into the fiber of Dayton Christian School System’s philosophy, mission, and core values. This paper is intended to share the conflict, communication, and organizational culture that administrators, teachers, and staff are expected to know as they live by example what we do (mission), why we do what we do (purpose), and the core values for which we operate as a Christian school.
Dayton Christian School System Culture
Culture refers to those values, beliefs, attitudes, and influences people have within communities and organizations(Brown, 2004). Educational leadership theorists have given additional attention to school culture viewing it as a bridge to understanding parties in school life (Mills, 2003). Schools, in general, demonstrate an organizational culture by mere design. So it's imperative that administrators, faculty, and stakeholders intentionally define the particular way of life in the Christian school.
At Dayton Christian School System, it is thedesire to partner with Christian families to help them fulfill their God-given responsibility to educate their children. The core value of the Dayton Christian School System is based upon the belief that God uses our administrators and educators to model a Christian walk with the intent to lead students to Christ in a Christ-centered school system (Dayton Christian School System, 2014).
Dayton Christian School System hires highly qualified educators of like-minded faith believing: (1) the Bible to be the inspired, only fallible, authoritative, inerrant word of God, (2) there is one God, eternally existent in three persons (Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit), (3) in the deity of our Lord Jesus Christ (born of the virgin Mary, sinless in life, miracle worker, His atoning death through his blood, the resurrection of his body, ascension into heaven to the right hand of God, the father, his personal return in power and glory, (4) man is sinful by nature, (5) continuing ministry of the Holy Spirit indwelling to enable the Christian to live a godly life, (6) in the resurrection of both the saved and the lost, (7) in the spiritual unity of believers in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the creation of man by the direct act of God (Dayton Christian School System, 2014). Employees are given the charge to be deliberate in sharing their faith and acting as living curriculum in teaching God’s truth through his word to students, parents, and the community in which we serve.
Core Values and Mission Statement
Core Values
Core values are defined as those guiding principles that prescribe behaviors and actions (Shachar, Gavin, & Shlomo, 2010). Core values can help people understand right from wrong; help organizations determine alignment to their business goals; and create a steady guide (Shachar, Gavin, & Shlomo, 2010)
The core values of the Dayton Christian School System focus on the belief that God uses DCSS as an educational institution grounded in unity (oneness of the body of Christ), scripture (authority of God’s word), a quest for excellence, and service (compassion and outreach). In order to understand the organizational values, employees are challenged to apply the core values daily operation by memorizing and practicing these elements through our daily service.
Mission Statement
A mission statement is defined as the purpose and primary objectives (Shachar, Gavin, & Shlomo, 2010). Mission statements explain why you exist as an organization, to members of the organization, and to people outside of the organization. Mission statements are short, clear and powerful.
Dayton Christian School System’s mission states, “ Through prayerful dependence on God, DCSS provides a biblically integrated, academically rigorous educational experience:
Instilling in students a love for Christ and God’s word, a love for learning, and a love for others (Matthew 22:35-40). Inspiring students to approach scholarship, athletics, fine arts, and service as an act of worship (Ephesians 4:1-3; Colossians 3:23-24). Equippingstudents to reach their full, God-given potential within the body of Christ, to live out their faith with grace, wisdom, and courage (Philippians 1:7-9; Colossians 1:28- 29) (Dayton Christian School System, 2014).
The organizational culture contributes to the mission of DCSS by exercising an intentional focus on prayer and preparing our hearts to listen for God’s leading and direction. It is my belief that the employees of DCSS must be fully invested in the dependence on God in every step taken towards our mission. The overall goal of DCSS is to deliver a Christ-centered education that reflects God’s perfect plan for educating students for eternity as he directs us. DCSS encourages a work environment focused on Christ’s servant-hood, the obedience of the Lord, and ground in the truth of God’s word.
DCSS recognizes that quality teachers are crucial elements in guiding students toward their maximum, God-given potential. Students listen closely to sources they trust the most. Therefore, teachers must be the most reliable sources for students to encounter. Unless teachers are masters of their academic disciplines, skilled communicators, and transparent in their walk with Christ, students are unable to obtain lasting credibility with those whom they seek to persuade (Dayton Christian School System, 2014).
Communication and Conflicts
Communication
At DCSS, communication falls into four basic types and two main categories. The two categories are simply input and output. Reading and listening are the two main input avenues while speaking and writing are the two foundational output avenues of communication. In brief, you can see how the eyes (reading), ears (listening), mouth (speaking), and touch (writing) are communication “gates”. From the earliest lessons at DCSS, we are utilizing all four of these “gates” for teaching reading and writing. Our phonics program is built upon these four basic avenues. Orton-Gillingham phonics uses these four gates to teach spelling, writing and reading. Comprehension and word meaning are taught from the beginning.
Communication forms at the earliest stages with speaking skills during show and tell in the beginning grades and proceeds to presentations and debates in eighth through twelfth grades, our students are encouraged and trained to speak publicly. Clear standards are outlined so that students will know what teachers are expecting.For instance, writing words to sentences to stories and paragraphs, our students develop their writing skills. Topic sentences, supporting details, persuasion, descriptions, and explanations are all part of the everyday communications at DCSS. It is foundational to our philosophy that writing complete thoughts help develop thinking and reasoning ability. Our main purpose in learning to read is to read the Bible. The most important skill is learning to discern the author's purpose because God is the author of the Bible and his purpose is preeminent. We begin with the foundational skills of phonics and work to develop four basic comprehension areas in our students: initial understanding, constructing meaning, inferential comprehension, literary analysis. DCSS students are trained to become discerning readers. Listening skills are a vital part of communicating. Paying attention, following directions, getting the facts, asking probing questions, and taking meaningful notes are all necessary ingredients of good listeners. These skills are taught, encouraged, and practiced at DCSS. These elements describe our approach to communication. It is the desire that DCSS students will be effective as communicators of a Christian worldview to the world around them.
Conflict Strategies
According to Dayton Christian School System (2014), Biblical communications in the form of an agreement with its administrators, educators, parents, and stakeholders has been established and published by the Board of Education and is as follows: DCSS expects every member of the DCSS family to adopt and abide by in order to maintain positive communication and support. The communications agreement includes: (1) understand that the objective of this agreement is to encourage obedience to biblical principles inall communications in order to glorify God through building unity and teamwork, throughmaintaining God-honoring relationships, and through serving as a role model to the students ofDCSS,(2) understand that we (parents, teachers, support staff,administrators,and board members) must work together as a team to train our children to live forChrist, (3) speak the truth in love(Ephesians4:15, 25), (4) encourage and edify through my communications with others(Ephesians 4:29; Romans14:19), (5) avoid gossiping and arguing, but rather strive for a spirit of unity(2 Corinthians12:20; 2 Timothy2:23-24; 1 Corinthians1:10), (6)listen to others, striving to understand them(James 1:19-20), (7) not leave issues and offenses unresolved, (8) take the initiative to seek forgiveness andreconciliation(Matthew 5:23-24; Matthew18:15), (9) maintain an attitude of kindness, compassion and forgiveness(Ephesians4:32), (10) respect others as fellow creations of God, considering them better than myself(Philippians2:3), (11) slander no one, never being condescending or demeaning to them, (12) show truehumility toward all men(Titus 3:1-2), (13) use contacts with parents, teachers, support staff, administrators and board members as anopportunity to pray for and with them(2 Thessalonians 1:11; Ephesians6:18).Following these biblical principles of communication allowseveryone to work together moreeffectively as a unified team for the good of the children entrusted to DCSS care and training.
Conclusion
In conclusion, God has blessed our school system in numerous ways. To walk around the campus and see the high quality of student work from the classrooms to musicals, to athletic teams, to character development, to technology. The mission of our school system is to instill
a deep love for Christ and a love for learning and a love for people in our students that will transform their lives. Our school exists to equipour students to live out their faith in their day-to- day experiences as they grow toward reaching their God-given potential. DCSS strives to offer an excellent academic setting in which students can discover their giftedness and prepare for advanced study after highschool. DCSS purposes to inspireevery student to pursue academics, athletics, the fine arts, and service as an act of their true worship to God.
It is easy to put “Christian” in the name of our school, to sew it on the uniform shirts, to wear it on our athletic jerseys, and to emboss it on our stationery, but to make it real in the classrooms, in the lunchroom, in the hallways, and on the bus ride home is a daily challenge. Every teacher in the DCSS loves the Lord Jesus, loves their academic discipline, and loves working with students. Our curriculum is biblically integrated reflecting a strong Christ-centered worldview.
Prayer saturates our school from the boardroom to the administrative meeting, to the teachers’ meeting, to theclassroom. The Bible is our guidebook and source of absolute truth. As God’s revelation to man, the Bible is foundational to our faith and practice. DCSS strives to make disciples and to enable our students to grow in their understanding of the realities of walking in Christ.
Being a Christian school involves the interactive dynamics of love, grace, mercy, patience, discipline, structure, opportunities, challenges, communication, responsibility, and inspiration. Our partnership together as parents and educators must be nurtured by our larger partnership with God Himself.
References
Brown, R.(2004, November).School culture and organization: Lessons from research and experience., 1-17. Retrievedfrom
Dayton Christian School System.(2014).Dayton Christian School System.Retrieved from
Mills, K. A. (2003). The Culture of the Christian School. Journal of Education & Christian Belief, 7(2), 129-142.
Shachar, H. H., Gavin, S., & Shlomo, S. (2010). Changing organizational culture and instructional methods in elementary schools: Perceptions of teachers and professional educational consultants. Journal Of Educational Change, 11(3), 273-289. doi:10.1007/s10833-009-9128-8