Applying Organizational Research to Public School Reform: The Effects of Teacher Human and Social Capital on Student Performance
Abstract
We investigated the effects of teacher human and social capital on growth in student performance in a sample of 1,013 teachers organized into 239 grade teams. We found that teacher human capital that is specific to a setting and task, and some indicators of teacher social capital, predicted student performance improvement. At the team level, average educational attainment and horizontal tie strength were significant predictors of student improvement. We provide some evidence that team horizontal tie strength and density moderate the relationship between teacher ability and student performance. Implications of our multilevel analysis for theory, research, and policy are discussed.
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The study's central contribution is to insert a missing step into the conventional account of social capital and schools: the evidence supports a longer causal chain-social capital → activation mechanism → organizational capacity → improvement-rather than a direct link from social capital to improvement.
“Where the standard claim runs directly from social capital to improvement (Leana & Pil, 2006; Pil & Leana, 2009), the evidence here supports a longer causal chain: social capital → activation mechanism → organizational capacity → improvement.”
From From Social Capital to Organizational Capacity: Activating Relational Resources for School Innovation (2026) · cites this paper as Pil & Leana, 2009
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References 173 · Cited by 280
- Authors
- Pil, F. K., & Leana, C.
- Affiliations
- University of Pittsburgh (US)
- Venue
- Academy of Management Journal
- Publisher
- Academy of Management
- Published
- 2009-12
- Volume
- 52
- Issue
- 6
- Pages
- 1101-1124
- ISSN
- 0001-4273 (ISSN-L)
- 1948-0989
- OpenAlex
- W1997843870
- Cited by
- 280
- References
- 173
- Citations by year
- 2026: 9 · 2025: 11 · 2024: 9 · 2023: 11 · 2022: 14 · 2021: 19 · 2020: 18 · 2019: 19 · 2018: 35 · 2017: 20 · 2016: 28 · 2015: 19 · 2014: 15 · 2013: 27 · 2012: 12
- FWCI
- 36.83
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Academy of Management Journal (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Education › School Choice and Performance
- Social Sciences › Education › School Leadership and Teacher Performance
- Social Sciences › Education › Teacher Education and Leadership Studies
- Keywords
- student performance, educational attainment, educational reform, public schools, organizational analysis
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