Traditionally, principals have been held accountable for the effectiveness of schools. This continues to be largely true as principals work to influence the change process toward increased teacher involvement and empowerment. As principals initiate these changes, they do so primarily through interactions with the faculty. One explanation for a principal's influence may be social influence theory from social psychology. Social influence theory suggests that credibility (a combination of expertness and trustworthiness) and social attractiveness are potent and persuasive elements of influence. Using social influence theory components, the purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship of the principal's social influence and teacher empowerment. Results of the study indicated that teacher empowerment is most closely related to principal's social attractiveness (perceived similarity to teachers) and trustworthiness (perceived willingness to suppress one's own self-interest for the benefit of the school).
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