| Abstract: | Democratic administrative leadership has long been hypothesized to result in high worker morale. Within the context of the elementary school, the principal is the chief administrator and the teachers occupy the major adult work roles. Data from 568 teachers in 52 elementary schools, classified as to administrative atmosphere, indicates that the principal’s compliance with specific work-related norms held by the teacher is more important to teacher satisfaction than is the degree of democratic behavior which he exhibits. Some explanations for this phenomenon are suggested. |
