| Scope and method of study. The purpose of this study was to explore how leader social power impacts subordinate creativity. Participants in the study were 132 primary and secondary teachers and their respective principals from 18 schools within the Charlotte Mecklenburg School System, Charlotte, North Carolina. Each teacher completed a survey packet containing: (a) a personal background information sheet; (b) a leader social power inventory (Hinkin & Schriesheim, 1989); (c) a subordinate attitude towards creativity inventory (Ettlie & O'Keefe, 1982); (d) a technical support questionnaire; (e) a leader autonomy-support questionnaire (Deci, 1996); and (f) a Creative Motivation Inventory. Each principal completed a survey packet containing: (a) a personal background information sheet; and (b) an Employee Creativity Questionnaire for each teacher under her/his direction participating in the study. For schools with more than 13 teachers volunteering to participate, a maximum of 12 teachers was randomly selected for evaluation by their principal. Pearson's r, and a reduced form equations analysis regression procedure, were used to test 17 primary hypotheses. Average scores on all scales were used in testing the hypotheses.; Findings and conclusions. Collectively the present study's findings demonstrate subordinate creativity is subject to numerous influences. Contextual variables (such as technical support) and personal motivational levels are two factors found to contribute to the teachers' work experience. Self-determined motivation had a positive direct relationship with subordinate creativity. Technical support demonstrated a positive total associative, but not a direct, relationship to subordinate creativity. Additionally, the impact social influences (derived from a leader's social power) can have on subordinate creativity is underscored by the present study's findings. It was found that a leader's social power can enhance or constrain (a) technical support and/or self-determined motivation, and (b) subordinate creativity directly. Three of the five power bases (expert, referent, and legitimate) demonstrated strong direct relationships with subordinate creativity. Of the three, only expert power was negatively related to subordinate creativity. |
