Journal of Education & Social Policy

The Influence of Organizational Structure on Teacher Empowerment: A Case Study of a Title I Elementary School
Dr. Marci B. Vining, Dr. William F. Truby, Dr. Rudo E. Tsemunhu, Dr. Robert B. Green, Dr. John D. Lairsey, Dr. Kelly C. Dreger

Abstract
This instrumental case study design addressed the lack of improvement in Georgia’s Title I elementary schools. The purpose was to determine if organizational structure influenced empowerment and collaboration among teachers. Using Covey’s Maturity Continuum as the metric, teachers in a low-performing elementary school were interviewed regarding the impact of organizational structure on their abilities to work effectively together. The researcher found that the hierarchal structure created by administrators influenced Title I teachers to work dependently. The structure created by the administrators did not promote interdependency. The imposed structure included mandatory protocols, definitive decision-making, absolute expectations, and lines of authority. It was concluded, however, that this structure did not significantly influence bottom-line measures of success. The findings in this study can provide national policy makers, departments of education, teacher preparation programs, and education units with research and insights on how to better structure American schools.

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