Social Axioms and Problem-Solving Styles in an Institutional Environment

Abstract

What are social axioms and problem-solving styles, and how do they fit in the professional environment of higher education? The research seeks an answer to the question in a sample of 34 university lecturers using a shortened and an easier-to-use version of SAS test and Kirton KAI Inventory for the styles. Verification in the environment of SPSS 23 shows a uniform distribution and high values of Cronbach’s reliability coefficient. The axioms Effort-Reward and Social Complexity are leading for the respondents. Efficiency and Conformity are the leading decision-making styles. The values of the subscales Originality, Effort- Reward and Social Complexity are below 0.7. No correlation has been found between the professional experience of the researched subjects and the studied social axioms and problem-solving styles. A partial one has the university position in one of the styles and two structural components of the social axioms. Only in one case ANOVA confirms the hypothesis of a correlation between the social axioms’ subscales and problem-solving styles (Destiny Control-Conformity). Social axioms and preferred problem-solving styles appear to show some flexibility. Their leading components satisfactorily fit into the conditions of the professional activity of the studied lecturers.