Amitai Etzioni

OCS Principle 1 - Control methods of an organization tend to be of three basic types: (1) Coercive (use of threat or force); (2) utilitarian (use of material rewards or symbols of material rewards such as checks); and (3) Symbolic (use of actions and activities to engender identification with and commitment to the organization). Symbolic power tends to be mostly used with those of highest rank while utilitarian power tends to be most often used with those of middle rank and coercive power tends to be most often used with those of lowest rank.

Observances. The observances of school principles and vice principles did evidence the use of the three types of power described by Etzioni. And, as predicted by the OCS theory, administrators tended to most often use symbolic power with those of higher rank (other administrators, much beloved or well-respected teachers, and so forth) while they tended to use utilitarian power more often with those of middle rank (regular teachers and staff). However, it was noticed that with those of lowest rank, the students, control tended to be exerted about equally often through coercive power and through symbolic power. Although this does not seem to accord with Etzioni's characterization, it can be noted that the kind of power administrators choose to use depended in a sense on an informal status or ranking of students. In all cases the author observed, power was exerted with students who had in some.


However, if the failure was a first time event and the student was not a low achiever (high rank disruptive student), then attempts were made to get the student to identify with the school and become more committed to these norms, regulations, or orders. On the other hand, if the student was a low achiever who already had more than one or two failures in terms of compiling with norms, regulations, or orders on his/her record (low rank disruptive student), administrators almost immediately exerted coercive power, usually in the form of detention and/or in terms of threatening suspension or expulsion.

Observances. In the observed school, the principal exhibited very strong instrumental leadership. He was particularly good at budgeting and allocating resources as well as organizing efforts and actions that needed to be taken to accomplish tasks and goals. However, he was not at all good at interpersonal relationships (expressive leadership).

An interesting consequence emerged as a result of the principal's lack of expressive leadership, one that has implications for the leadership role itself. The principal's secretary was a very warm and engaging person. Where the principal could not rely on his skills to motivate subordinates, if he sent his secretary to talk to subordinates, she often managed to provide the leadership that he could not provide in the interpersonal skills area.

Educational organizations are heavily focused on the production of academic achievement and they tend to exert power toward this goal far more frequently than toward any other goal. It could be that had another organizational type such as a non-educational institution been selected, the use of the OCS to monitor desired performance might have been more salient.

Almost everyone of these students felt that the school was constantly trying to force or threaten them to comply with "stupid," or "bogus" rules.

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