The binding forces that hold school organizations together

As part of a major study, an attempt was made to examine the organizational values of secondary schools in Hong Kong with a self-constructed, standardised instrument, the School Values Inventory. Values are chosen, because organizations are not only theory-laden, but are also value-laden and the sharing of organizational values are the binding forces that hold an organization together. Using LISREL confirmatory factor analytic modelling techniques and based on a sample of 554 teachers from 44 secondary schools in Hong Kong, a four-factor model of organizational values was developed. The model which, precisely and concisely, concludes binding forces in Hong Kong schools as bureaucratic linkage, cultural linkage, tight coupling, and loose coupling provides an insight to understand school administration and organizational cultures.