Perceived Principal Influence Tactics and Early-Tenure Teacher Status

Authors

• Vanessa Perez-PetersonFollow
• Christopher Benedetti, Texas A&M University-Corpus ChristiFollow

Short Title

Principal Influence and Teacher Tenure

Keywords

teacher retention, teacher tenure, influence tactics, principal leadership, early-career teachers

Abstract

Teacher staffing stability remains a persistent challenge for schools, particularly during the early years of teachers’ placement. This study examined whether teachers’ perceptions of principal influence tactics were associated with early-tenure status, defined as 0–3 years at their current campus. Guided by influence tactics theory, a quantitative, cross-sectional design was employed using survey data from 167 certified teachers in Southeastern Texas. Participants completed the Influence Behavior Questionnaire–General (IBQ-G), and composite indices of noncoercive, soft-coercive, and hard-coercive tactics were included in a logistic regression model, along with teacher and principal demographic variables. None of the three influence-tactic categories was significantly associated with early-tenure classification. Teacher experience emerged as the only significant predictor, with fewer total years of experience associated with a greater likelihood of early-tenure status. Model classification demonstrated high specificity but low sensitivity, indicating limited ability to identify early-tenure teachers using the included variables. These findings suggest that discrete principal influence behaviors, as measured by the IBQ-G, may not independently account for patterns of teacher tenure within schools. Campus stability likely reflects a broader constellation of relational, structural, and contextual influences beyond isolated interpersonal strategies.

Recommended Citation

Perez-Peterson, Vanessa and Benedetti, Christopher (2026) "Perceived Principal Influence Tactics and Early-Tenure Teacher Status," School Leadership Review: Vol. 21: Iss. 1, Article 11.
Available at: https://scholarworks.sfasu.edu/slr/vol21/iss1/11