Authority versus influence: institutional logics in the job competencies and role responsibilities of PK–12 equity directors

Purpose PK–12 equity directors (EDs) are tasked with addressing systemic inequities. This study examines how institutional logics – taken-for-granted beliefs, norms, and rules that guide action – in ED district hiring documents, including job descriptions and postings, shape their competencies and responsibilities. Although prior research highlights the need to better understand ED roles, limited scholarship has examined how institutional logics shape the qualifications and duties associated with this role. Design/methodology/approach This study employs an institutional logic framework and content analysis to examine 34 ED hiring documents identified through a nationwide relevance search in the United States. Findings The most common qualifications for ED positions include holding administrative credentials and experience (e.g. principalship or superintendency), reflecting a dominant bureaucratic logic. In contrast, responsibilities frame EDs as strategic advisors who counsel school and department leaders, reflecting a hybrid relational and professional logic. This misalignment may lead systems to prioritize qualifications that reinforce managerial orientations while positioning EDs to rely primarily on influence rather than positional authority to advance equity. Originality/value Prior empirical studies of ED roles have primarily focused on the experiences and perspectives of individuals who have held these positions. This study addresses a gap in the literature by identifying how school districts construct the ED role through institutional logics.