Business Administration (PhD) / Διοίκηση Επιχειρήσεων (PhD)

The aim of this study is to investigate the extent that Internal Marketing (IM) strategies exist in secondary public schools and whether these strategies influence the secondary public schools’ organizational culture and school effectiveness. The extent that this existing organizational culture acts as a mediator between the IM strategies and the public schools’ effectiveness is also investigated. Based on the literature review a conceptual model of IM strategies and components of Organizational Culture and School effectiveness has been developed to test this on secondary public schools in Cyprus. A questionnaire was developed to investigate this conceptual model. After conducting a pilot study with 6 random teachers of a secondary public school to ensure the appropriateness of the questionnaire, the questionnaire was distributed to 27 high schools (both Gymnasiums and Lyceums) excluding the teachers participating in the pilot study. In total 1,115 questionnaires were distributed to teachers and headteachers of 17 high schools from Larnaka, 5 from Famagusta and 5 from Nicosia. Of the 1,115 questionnaires distributed, 517 were completed, representing a 46% response rate. The town with the highest response rate was Famagusta followed by Larnaka and Nicosia. In the data analysis, 5 of the questionnaires were incomplete so they were withdrawn from the sample as there was missing data. SEM methodology using AMOS 21 software has been carried out. In this investigation, there is an evidence of the existence of IM strategies in the secondary public schools although their presence is limited, especially that of Relationship Development (RD) strategies. IM strategies which include Human Resource Management (HRM), Relationship Development (RD) and Education Process and Internal Customer Segmentation (EPICS) strategies affect significantly the public secondary schools’ organizational culture which in turn affects positively the school effectiveness. Therefore, the public schools’ organizational culture acts as a mediator between IM strategies and school effectiveness. There is also a positive direct relationship between IM strategies and school effectiveness