Only few studies have been conducted on job satisfaction, job strain and emotional exhaustion of school leaders. This proposal is based on three interview studies. They were conducted in the manner of the problem centered interview according to Witzel (2000) and analyzed using a qualitative content analysis (Mayring 2002). Interviews were conducted with ten highly strained school leaders as well as ten school leaders with low strain, half from Germany, half from Switzerland. They were selected from the data base from the quantitative phase (N=5394) identifying school leaders with extremely high and low scores on emotional exhaustion and job strain. The findings show that school leaders who are highly emotionally exhausted and strained see social conflicts as bigger strains than their colleagues whose are less strained and emotional exhausted. Examples of social conflicts are resistance from staff or the absence of (a climate of) cooperation within the school. Moreover, they talk more about social conflicts with different interaction partners. School leaders with low strain and little emotional exhaustion report a much higher level of support by the faculty stuffMoreover, many of the school leaders who are highly emotionally exhausted and strained report multiple strains and role conflicts and a feeling of uncertainty regarding how to react adequately, especially in conflicting situations. The multitude of roles – being in charge of the teachers but also of the students and being a contact person for parents as well as the authorities – is also seen as straining by them. The analysis of the interviews indicates that small and unplanned activities, which can interrupt a whole work flow, are seen as highly straining for many school leaders, particularly the ones who are highly emotionally exhausted and strained.

Mayring, P. (2002). Einführung in die Qualitative Sozialforschung. Eine Anleitung zum qualitativen Denken. (5. Aufl.). Weinheim: Beltz Verlag. Witzel, A. (2000). Das problemzentrierte Interview. Retrieved from: http://www.qualitative-research.net/index.php/fqs/article/view/1132 [14.06.2014].