Bureaucracy, organizational climate, militancy, and job satisfaction of Vermont elementary teachers in single and multi-district superintendencies

Edward Francis Houlihan, Fordham University

Abstract

The major purpose of this study was to determine and compare the perceptions of elementary teachers in single district and multi-district superintendencies in Vermont with respect to the bureaucratic dimensions of Centralization, Formalization, Complexity and the Climate of their school district and their Job Satisfaction. Since 1914, there have been 15 reports issued in the State of Vermont, recommending some form of centralization. They have, for the most part, concentrated on reorganization and emphasized economy and efficiency. They have not considered the personnel aspect to any great extent. This study attempted to delve into this human factor in order to gather information which may be used in future studies aimed at reorganization of educational districts within the State of Vermont. There were 141 randomly selected teacher: employed in 10 single district superintendencies, and 146 elementary teachers employed in 10 multi-district superintendencies in Vermont who completed questionnaires aimed at determining their perceptions of Centralization, Formalization, Complexity, Militancy, Organizational Climate, and Job Satisfaction. Significant differences were determined to exist between the teachers employed in single and multi-districts in respect to the variables of Centralization, Bureaucracy, and Militancy. It was determined that teachers in single districts perceived their districts to be more centralized, bureaucratic, and militant. In addition, there was no significant relationship between Centralization, Organizational Climate, and Job Satisfaction variables in single districts, but there were some significant relationships between Formalization and Complexity in single districts, and in multi and combined districts there were some significant relationships between Centralization, Formalization, Complexity, and Job Satisfaction variables. The Militancy variable had a significant relationship in single, multi, and combined districts only in respect to Complexity. It was recommended that in any future studies in respect to reorganizing Vermont's school districts, the personnel factor must be considered to a greater extent, and future studies should include other staff, students, and educational outcomes.

Subject Area

School administration

Recommended Citation

Houlihan, Edward Francis, "Bureaucracy, organizational climate, militancy, and job satisfaction of Vermont elementary teachers in single and multi-district superintendencies" (1989). ETD Collection for Fordham University. AAI9007184.
https://research.library.fordham.edu/dissertations/AAI9007184

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