Leadership, Teacher Autonomy, and Flow, as Micro-Foundations of Organizational Resilience in Education

Abstract

In a world defined by constant systemic change, schools need stability and the capacity to transform, if they want to remain functional and relevant. While there is a lot of research on organizational resilience, more attention should be given to the micro-level foundations within educational settings. This conceptual paper argues that the principals’ leadership styles can foster teacher autonomy and flow, contributing to transformative organizational resilience. Teachers’ decisions in the classroom, the ongoing adjustments of educational strategies, and their ability to focus and adapt support the school’s ability to build on organizational resilience allowing educational institutions to adapt effectively to change. Recurrent adaptive practices at the classroom level may strengthen the school’s overall capacity for transformation, creating conditions that support students’ resilience. This paper proposes a conceptual model linking selected leadership styles, teacher autonomy, flow, and organizational resilience, in order to offer a management-oriented perspective on adaptive capacity in education. UDC: 005.322:37.011.31; JEL: I25, M12, D91