concept of fit

The purpose of this mixed method study was to understand how demographic fit, organizational fit, and group fit influenced secondary school assistant principal (AP) selection and assimilation for candidates who completed the Paradise School District (pseudonym) leadership training program during the 2004-2005 to 2008-2009 school years. However, the results indicated that Hispanic candidates were selected at a higher rate than other groups of candidates. The results also indicated that Black candidates were selected at the same rate as the average for all candidates ; however these results may be misleading because Black candidates were disproportionally over-represented in the study sample. Regarding organizational fit, the study results suggested that candidates who indicated one of three specific Myers-Briggs personality types (ESTJ, ENTJ, or ENFP) were selected at higher rates than candidates of the other 13 personality types. The suggested personality traits for secondary school APs found in this study included (a) Extroversion (E), (b) Feeling (F), and (c) Judging (J). Candidates who referenced more than one hiring administrator, at or above the level of principal, were selected at higher rates than candidates who referenced only one principal. The inverviews suggested balancing the demographics of a school's administrative staff, using gender and race/ethnicity, to the the community the school serves was related to selection. The interviews also disclosed that Black, Hispanic, and candidates with expertise in operations and curricula might be suggested over other candidates. The interviews also suggested that networking, sponsorship, interview impressions, and references were related to the selection processes.