The Relationship between School Principals’ Power Sources and School Climate

Abstract

This study aims to assess the relationship between school principals' power sources and school climate. The sampling of the study, which is in a survey model, consists of 322 teachers working in preschool, primary and secondary school institutions in Kutahya city center. Data were collected through Organizational Power Scale at Schools and Organizational Climate Scale at Schools. t-test, ANOVA and Pearson correlationship analysis descriptive statistics were used in the analysis of the data. Findings suggest that school principals use legitima te power the most and coercive power the least. Based on teachers' opinions within the context of organizational climate, principals' display restricting behaviors the most and directive behaviors the least. Teachers, on the other hand, display collegial behaviors the most and disengaged behaviors the least. When rel ationships between organizational power and organizational climate are examined, the highest straight correlati onship was found to be between referent, expert and reward power and supportive principal behaviors. The highest inverse correlationship was found between restrictive power, supportive principal and collegial collegial behaviors among teachers. It was proposed that for a more positive school climate, school principals must prefer to use reward, expert and referent power rather than legitimate and coercive power.