Paper Summary:

The paper reviews what power is, why it is important to understand power when dealing with policy-makers in a local district, what the major sources and types of power are and what form they assume in a fairly small community in the state of Georgia. Finally, the paper looks briefly at how power is used (or should be used) in school organizations vis-a-vis the shaping of educational policy and what ethical issues power raises in this context. The paper concludes that power, when it comes to implementing educational policies for children, must be balanced by the recognition that professional aspirations and objectives are secondary to doing what is best for pupils.

Outline:
Abstract
What is Power?
Why is it Important to Understand Power?
What are the Major Sources of Power?
The Types of Power
Sources/Types of Power in Bibb County, Georgia
How is Power Used in School Organizations to Shape Educational Policy? What Ethical Issues does Power Raise?

From the Paper:

"Suffice it to say, it is important to understand power when talking with, and working with, policy-makers in one's local district because understanding what power really is constitutes a first step towards identifying those who really have it. In other words, people who appreciate and recognize power will be able to seek out those who, directly or indirectly, shape policy decisions. More than that, every local district is different and local "power hierarchies" will be different, as well. For instance, local school boards in a rural community will not only have a different make-up than school boards in a large, urban setting, but will most likely emphasize issues and concerns (and, by extension, the people articulating those issues and concerns) that would be of little or no import to school board trustees in the latter context. Understanding the social and cultural milieu in which a school board operates, in other words, is paramount to understanding which groups, persons, and organizations must be brought "onside" if any educational initiative-slash-proposal is to achieve success."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Galbraith, John Kenneth. (1985). The Anatomy of Power. United States: Houghton Mifflin Company.
• Kudisch, Jeffrey D., Poteet, Mark L., and Dobbins, Gregory H. (1995). Expert power, referent power, and charisma: toward the resolution of a theoretical debate. Journal of Business and Psychology, 10(2): 177-195.
• Michener, H.A. (1975). Components of "authority" as determinants of compliance. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 31(4): 606-614.
• Son, Loraine, and Schmitt, Neal. (1983). The influence of sex bias upon compliance with expert power. Sex Roles, 9(2): 233-246.

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