Nested coupling: a study on the operating mechanism of school organisation structure in China

Drawing on organisational coupling theory, this study employs a multi-case qualitative approach to investigate the operational mechanisms of organisational structures in five urban public primary schools located in the suburban areas of a developed city in Northern China. The findings reveal that case schools demonstrate a dual coupling system, comprising two distinct mechanisms. Firstly, a tightly coupled mechanism centred on administrative authority, and secondly, a loosely coupled mechanism anchored in informal relational networks (guanxi). The aforementioned mechanisms exhibit a state of mutual embeddedness, thereby establishing a nested coupling paradigm. In this paradigm, administrative power becomes pervasive within informal relationships, whilst informal networks strategically engage with formal power structures. Three contextual factors have been identified as significant influences on this configuration: firstly, cultural norms characterised by bureaucratic traditions and guanxi-oriented social dynamics; secondly, institutional change trajectories; and thirdly, leadership practices.