Democratic School Management and Social Capital

Abstract

Social capital is the constructive potential of motivation, initiative and activation that emerges in the context of trust, solidarity, collaboration and goodwill. The potential for social capital to generate benefits for both individuals and organizations makes it worth investigating in order to better understand the processes that bring it into existence. This research assumes that democratic sub-processes in the organizational context will contribute to the development of social capital. Democracy, as an ideal of humanity, can contribute to the development of social capital since it allows people to express their own ideas, takes them into account, offers negotiation conditions in line with ethical and fair principles, requires information sharing and gives confidence. Commitment to democratic values in school management can make individuals feel safe and facilitate relationships. Therefore, this research aims to investigate the effects of democratic practices such as critical participation, transparency, justice, equality and accountability on the development of social capital. Research findings offer important implications for the effects of democratic processes on social capital development.