The Relationship Between Female School Principals' Leadership Styles and Teachers' Power Distance Perceptions

The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between the leadership styles of female school principals and teachers' perceptions of organizational power distance. The sample of the study consists of 378 teachers working in schools managed by female principals in the province of Muğla. Data were collected using the School Administrators’ Leadership Style Scale and the Organizational Power Distance Scale. The findings indicate that teachers perceive female school principals’ transformational leadership style as high, transactional leadership style as moderate, and laissez-faire leadership style as low. The results related to organizational power distance reveal that teachers’ perceptions of acceptance of power and acquiescence to power are high, while their perceptions of instrumental use of power and justification of power are low. Teachers’ perceptions of female school principals’ leadership styles significantly differ based on gender and educational background, whereas their perceptions of power distance significantly differ based on seniority and employment type. The results of the regression analysis show that transactional leadership is a significant predictor of teachers' perceptions of instrumental use of power and acquiescence to power.