The Power of Perspective: Investigating the Relationship Between Teachers’ Followership Beliefs and Psychological Empowerment

June 19, 2026

The Power of Perspective: Investigating the Relationship Between Teachers’ Followership Beliefs and Psychological Empowerment

Carla L. Jackson | 2025

Abstract

This study investigated the extent to which teachers’ implicit followership traits predict psychological empowerment (PE) within diverse educational settings. Grounded in Sy’s (2010) implicit followership theory and Spreitzer’s (1995) PE framework, the research examined whether positive traits (industry, enthusiasm, good citizenship) and negative traits (conformity, insubordination, incompetence) uniquely contribute to teachers’ perceptions of meaning, competence, self-determination, and impact. A quantitative correlational design was used, incorporating both independent samples, t tests, and hierarchical multiple regression analyses. Participants were classified into Positive-IFP and Negative-IFP groups, and t tests were conducted to compare levels of PE. Statistically significant differences were found in overall empowerment and the meaning subscale. Regression analyses were then conducted to determine whether individual followership traits predicted empowerment outcomes while controlling for demographic variables such as age, years of teaching experience, gender, race/ethnicity, highest degree attained, and school type. Data were collected via an electronic survey, distributed through a snowball sampling method, resulting in 125 participants, all K–12 educators. Results indicated that positive implicit followership traits significantly predicted higher levels of PE. In particular, industry and good citizenship consistently emerged as strong positive predictors. Unexpectedly, the trait of conformity showed a positive association with certain empowerment dimensions. Insubordination and incompetence were not significant predictors. These findings underscore the complex role of teachers’ internalized followership beliefs in shaping their professional motivation and agency. The study offers practical implications for school leaders seeking to foster empowering work environments by promoting constructive follower role perceptions within educational contexts.

Keywords: Education, Implicit Followership, Leadership, Organizational Leadership, Psychological Empowerment, Training

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