"Motivation and empowerment on the job for teachers - the case of four 'American-type' private schools managed by School Development Consultants (SDC) in Lebanon"

Abstract

The topic of this thesis is the area of organizational behavior and human resources, and it is: "motivation and empowerment on the job for teachers: the case of four 'American-type' private schools managed by School Development Consultants (SDC) in Lebanon". As a result, the following are the two research questions that were explored: What are the problems faced by the faculty of the four schools that are resulting in a lack of intrinsic motivation, specifically empowerment? As a result of the findings in researcxh question 1, what type of plan should management develop to secure an increase in intrinsic motivation through empowerment and other means? The relationship of this research study to both the author's job and internship is the management company, SDC that the author works for. As for the international perspective in this study, it takes international theories of motivation and empowerment in management, psychology and sociology, and compares them with the motivation and empowerment levels in four private schools in Lebanon. Moreover, theories applied in the recommendations are also derived from similar studies that have been conducted in the United States. The methodology includes questionnaires conducted with the teachers, interviews with the principals, focus groups, and the review of school literature. The main findings include relatively high levels of motivation and empowerment in the four schools, although not explained fully by participation in the different areas of decision-making at school, but rather by the friendly work environment, ans sense of support from both colleagues and management at times, with regard to teachers. The managerial implications include mainly the development of a manual for managerial operations outlining the procedures and processes through which management is expected to empower and motivate teachers, as well as the inclusion of a summary of this manual within the staff manual of the schools.