Complexity, Adaptability and Job Satisfaction in High Schools: An Axiomatic Theory Applied
| Published date | 01 January 1971 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/eb009653 |
| Date | 01 January 1971 |
| Pages | 10-31 |
| Author | FRED. D. CARVER,THOMAS J. SERGIOVANNI |
| Subject Matter | Education |
10 THE JOURNAL OF EDUCATIONAL ADMINISTRATION
VOLUME IX, NUMBER 1 MAY, 1971
Complexity, Adaptability and Job Satisfaction
in High Schools: An Axiomatic Theory Applied
FRED. D. CARVER AND THOMAS J. SERGIOVANNI
The major purpose of this study is to test the applicability of an
eight-variable axiomatic theory of organizations to the secondary
school. Three corollaries, derived from the seven major proposi-
tions of the theory, were tested with data from 36 secondary
schools in Illinois. The methodological processes employed to
obtain measures of complexity, adaptability, and job satisfaction
are presented following explication of the larger theoretical
framework. An extended discussion of the findings and their
implications for the theory applied to schools concludes with
suggestions for methodological changes and an expanded research
approach.
INTRODUCTION
Modern society has witnessed unprecedented growth of large-
scale formal organizations. Educational institutions are no excep-
tions to this trend. The emergence and spread of the large high
school (for example, the comprehensive high school) has acceler-
ated rapidly in the last decade to the point where this unit
dominates American secondary education. The large high school
stimulates modes of operation characterized by conservation of
technical resources, scientific staff utilization, computerized
scheduling, diversity of program offerings and other services to
clients, favorable time and space utilization for building use and
centralized supporting professional and nonprofessional
staff.
In
addition to size, modern organizations are also characterized by a
high degree of specialization. These characteristics have had
strange effects upon the education of school clients, upon the level
FRED D. CARVER and THOMAS J. SERGIOVANNI arc both Associate
Professors in the Department of Educational Administration and Supervision at
the University of Illinois. They are associate editors of the Educational
Administration Quarterly and joint editors of Organizations and Human
Behaviour: Focus on Schools (1969). Professor Carver holds the degrees of M.S.
and Ph.D. of the University of Wisconsin and Professor Sergiovanni holds the
degrees of M.A. of Columbia University and Ed.D. of the University of
Rochester.
Complexity, Adaptability, Job Satisfaction 11
and nature of job satisfaction available to teachers, and upon the
school's ability to respond creatively to its environment.
While innovativeness may be considered a goal for schools and
complexity one of its methods of organizing, both represent struc-
tural elements which are usually manifest. Schools, however,
contain other structural elements—goals and methods—which are
usually latent. Among them are the aspirations that members have
for security, social acceptance, recognition, responsibility and
self-
realization. Schools do not exist manifestly to provide teachers
with such satisfactions. We assume, however, as does Presthus,1
that such aspirations are indeed legitimate and moreover help the
organization achieve its manifest goals. This assumption seems
particularly appropriate for schools in that the latent goals of
teachers are indeed the manifest goals schools have for their
clients.
This paper reports on an investigation of relationships among
one structural (means) variable and two outcome (ends) variables
in selected American public high schools. The variables—com-
plexity, adaptiveness, and job satisfaction—are to be found in the
theory of organisation on which the study is based.
THEORETICAL BASIS
An axiomatic theory of organization, developed by Hage,2
provided the framework for the study. Drawing heavily from
Weber, Barnard, Thompson, and Parsons and associates, Hage
develops his theory around seven major propositions which
identify eight structural elements each arranged in a means-ends
dichotomy. The four means variables and the four ends variables
are as follows: Structural elements
Organizational means
Complexity (specialization)
Centralization (hierarchy of
authority)
Formalization (standardiza-
tion)
Stratification (status)
Organizational ends
Adaptiveness (flexibility)
Production (effectiveness)
Efficiency (cost)
Job Satisfaction (morale)
The seven propositions state two-variable relationships, the first
three coming from Weber's bureaucracy model,3 the second three
from Barnard's work with status systems,4 and the other from
Thompson's formulations.5
Major propositions
I. The higher the centralization, the higher the production.
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