The purpose of the research is to explore the relationship between leadership styles and the emotional cultures of one Romanian school.Research questions:- What is the dominant leadership style adopted in the school?- How are these cultures exhibited in schools? (leaders' and staff's, students' understanding of emotion rules, norms, expressions, physical space, dressing code, rituals, language, symbols)- What is the nature of the relationship between leadership style and the emotional cultures of the school?Theoretical framework: Leadership styles (Bass, 1997a, b), emotion(al) cultures (Boyle, 2002); school culture (Leithwood, 1990; Cavanaugh, 1997; Deal, 2003; ), school climate (Hoy, 1991; Freiberg, 1999; Ashkanasy, 2000). The case study presented in this paper is the result of a pilot study undertaken in 1 school from Romania and it is as part of the doctoral research which is going to be a cross-sectional study using a mixed methodological approach. The main purpose of the pilot was to try out the main methods that are to be used in the main data collection and for that purpose there was one school selected from the city of Timisoara, Romania. Access to all school activities and school openness were the main criteria for selecting this school to take part in the pilot study. The instruments/measures used for data collection in this case study are: a general questionnaire about emotional cultures & climate and demographics, MLQ (Multifactorial Leadership Questionnaire, Bass 1997b), interviews, document analysis, observation. Conclusions or expected outcomes or findingsAims¢ To verify whether the transformational and transactional model of leadership has face validity in Romanian context - see whether teachers/ staff distinguish between different styles/behaviours of leadership ¢ To develop a preliminary theoretical model for exploring emotions in schools ¢ To describe the emotional cultures of the school in relation to leadership styles ResultsFour categories of data have been collected: survey data from 30 respondents; audio-taped interview data with 10 interviewees, observation data in researcher's field notes and daily diary and data from document analysis (photos, brochures, leaflets).The data collected from the questionnaires suggest that the transformational style is dominant in this school. Overall, the interviews confirm the results from the questionnaires, and most of the staff agrees with the fact that the leader has strong values, and an ambitious vision for the school. In terms of leadership outcomes, the scores for effectiveness are quite high, but at the same time, the staff's satisfaction with leadership is not as high. This result is confirmed by the observations made in the staff room and from researcher's perception that there is an evident tension between most of the staff and the school leader. The reasons for that, as both the staff and the head teacher claim, is head teacher's vision for the school, a vision which focuses not only on students' academic achievement, but on their social and personal development as well. Some teachers believe that there is too much an emphasis on extra-curricular activities and the head teacher does not support teachers' decisions in front of the student and by that she diminishes their authority. Also, the interviews bring to light the difficult relationship between the school leader and some of the staff.In terms of gender influence on leadership effectiveness, the opinions are split, but generally, women leaders were seen as more caring and protective than men.The general atmosphere can be described as busy and sometimes chaotic, and this can be observed by taking part of the daily school activities and by looking at the school physical environment. On the other side, most of the staff is proud to work in a school with such a good reputation and tradition. The main sources of negative emotions, as far as staffs are concerned, are education system instability, financial situation due to low wages, and, according to some staff, the unsupportive leadership style.1. Ashkanasy, N. M., Ashkanasy, N. M., Wilderom, C., & Peterson, M. F. (2000). Handbook of organizational culture & climate. Thousand Oaks, Calif. ; London: Sage Publications. 2. Bass, B. M. (1997a). Does the transactional--transformational leadership paradigm transcend organizational and national boundaries? The American Psychologist, 52(2), 130.3. Bass, B. M., & Avolio, B. J. (1997b). Full range leadership development: Manual for the multifactor leadership questionnaire. Redwood City, Calif.: Mind Garden Inc.4. Boyle, M.V., (2002). Sailing twixt Scylla and Carybdis. Women in Management Review, Vol. 17 (3/4), pp 131-141. 5. Cavanaugh, R., & Dellar, G. B. (1997). School culture: A quantitative perspective on a subjective phenomenon. Electronically retrieved April 14, 2006. American Educational Research Association, Chicago, IL. www.eric.ed.gov, ED408685. 6. Deal, T. E., & Peterson, K. D. (2003). Shaping school culture: The heart of leadership. San Francisco, Calif: Jossey-Bass.7. Freiberg, H. J. (1999). School climate: Measuring, improving and sustaining healthy learning environment. London: Falmer.8. Hoy, W. K., Tarter, C. J., & Kottkamp, R. B. (1991). Open schools/healthy schools: Measuring organizational climate. Newbury Park; London: Sage Publications.9. Leithwood, K., & Jantzi, D. (1990). Transformational leadership: How principals can help reform school cultures. School Effectiveness and School Improvement, 1(4), 249-280.Not decided yet