Democratic communication in Catholic primary schools

Participation in workplace decision making has become an increasingly prominent feature of organisational life over the past two decades. Such participation has been linked to job attitudes such as job satisfaction and stress. Conceptualised as Democratic Communication, participation in decision making, among other democratic practices, was investigated in the context of Catholic primary schools as part of a larger study. Three hundred and fifty six staff members from primary schools in Catholic diocesan systems across New South Wales were involved the study. Quantitative and qualitative data were obtained using a questionnaire survey. In this paper, Democratic Communication is described as a quantitatively measured 'factor' and is investigated in further depth using qualitative data. The results suggest that Democratic Communication both benefits and poses problems for schools.