Organizational power distance perception of teachers and its reflections on educational organizations, structural reasons, and structuration

The purpose of this study was to examine the organizational power distance perception of teachers. In this regard, it was intended to determine the level of teachers' organizational power distance perception and its differentiation status in terms of demographic variables, as well as the reflections of organizational power distance on educational organizations, its structural reasons, and structuration patterns. The study was designed in the case study model. Within the scope of the study, first, data were collected from teachers working in public schools of Muğla province through the Organizational Power Distance Scale in order to determine the level of teachers' organizational power distance perception and its differentiation status in terms of demographic variables. In this stage, the sample of the study consisted of 438 teachers specified by disproportionate cluster sampling technique. Descriptive statistics, cluster analysis, t-test, one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), Kruskal Wallis H test, and Sidak test were carried out with the data obtained from the Organizational Power Distance Scale. Then, semi-structured interviews were conducted with teachers in order to determine the reflections of organizational power distance on schools, its structural reasons, and structuration patterns. The participants of the interviews consisted of 21 teachers working in public schools in Muğla province. Thematic analysis was applied on the data obtained from the interviews. According to the results of the study, it is identified that teachers' perception of organizational power distance is at moderate and high levels. Clustering analysis results demonstrated that 69% of the teachers have moderate and high levels of organizational power distance perception in terms of acceptance of power, 61% in terms of acquiescence of power, 49% in terms of instrumental use of power, and 31% in terms of justification of power. Moreover, it is determined that teachers' perception of organizational power distance differs significantly in terms of seniority and school type variables. The teachers with 10 years or less seniority have higher level of acceptance of power than the teachers with more than 10 years of seniority. The teachers working in vocational and technical high schools as well as religious vocational high schools have higher level of acceptance of power and acquiescence of power when compared to teachers working in other school types. The reflections of organizational power distance on schools are desire of closeness to power and elimination of rational authority. Teachers get close to administrators so as to attain privileges and avoid pressures whereas they get close to unions with such reasons as attaining privileges, avoiding problems, creating an image of similarity, and also being an administrator. Administrators' use of legitimate power as a means of domination, their use of political power, and teachers' questioning the expertise of administrators are among the reasons of elimination of rational authority. Structural reasons of organizational power distance are comprised of job insecurity experienced by teachers and also their condition of being weakened. The structuration of organizational power distance takes place through teachers' justification of power, instrumental use of power, acquiescence of power, and acceptance of power. Keywords: power distance, teacher, justification of power, instrumental use of power, acquiescence of power, acceptance of power