The relationship between the organizational power sources used by school principals and the organizational commitment of teachers

This study focuses on the relationship between the organizational power resources used by school principals and the organizational commitment of teachers. The study aims to determine the relationship between the power resources used by school principals and the organizational commitment of teachers. For this purpose, the research was conducted using a correlational survey design, a quantitative research method. The study sample consisted of 379 teachers working in public and private primary schools affiliated with the Ministry of National Education in Ordu province. Data was collected using the 'Organizational Commitment Scale' and the 'Organizational Power Sources Scale Used by School Administrators'. In this study, the level at which teachers perceive the organizational power resources used by school principals and the effects of this perception on organizational commitment were analyzed. Data was analyzed using descriptive statistics (frequency, percentage, mean, and standard deviation) techniques, as well as t-test for independent groups and one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) to determine the difference between the scores of more than two groups. Pearson partial correlation analysis was used to determine the relationship and direction between the power sources used by school principals and the organizational commitment of teachers. Simple linear regression analysis technique was used to determine the level to which the power sources used by school principals predict teachers' organizational commitment. The results of the study reveal that school principals mostly exhibit an expert management style and use legitimate power from organizational power sources. Teachers' perceptions of the organizational power resources used by school principals differ in terms of gender, branch, educational status, school type, and job seniority. Teachers' perceptions of organizational commitment show significant differences in terms of gender, branch, educational status, school type, and job seniority. A positive and moderately statistically significant relationship was found between the expert power, charismatic power, legitimate power, and reward power wielded by school principals and teachers' perceptions of organizational commitment. However, there was a positive and lowly significant relationship between the coercive power sub-dimension and organizational commitment. The power resources used by school principals moderately predict teachers' organizational commitment. Based on these results, it can be argued that school principals' greater use of expert power, charismatic power, legitimate power, and reward power, rather than coercive power, will increase teachers' organizational commitment. Key Words : Organizational Power Sources, School Principal, Organizational Commitment, Teacher.