Organizational Orientation in Public and Private Elementary Schools

Abstract

Abstract In this study, we investigated the relationship between organizational value orientation and two variables, organizational commitment and job satisfaction, among teachers from private and public elementary schools. We also assessed the central contribution of personal and organizational attributes (i.e., gender, length of professional experience, and type of school) in explaining employee organizational commitment and job satisfaction. Using survey research methods, we collected data from 135 teachers from public schools and 562 teachers from Catholic private schools. We analyzed the data by multivariate analysis of variance and multiple regression. In our study, we found differences between private (religious) and public schools. Specifically, results of this study suggested that (a) private schools exhibit a more normative orientation, whereas public schools exhibit a more utilitarian orientation; and (b) schools with a more normative value orientation had significantly higher teacher organizational commitment and job satisfaction than did schools with a more utilitarian value orientation.