When entering the schools, beginning teachers face great challenges, many of which are related to finding one’s place and establishing emotional relationships within the school organization. The principals play a key role in managing the organizational structures to enable the emergence of collegial relationships. Relationships based on emotional and cognitive connections, also further individual resilience and ability to manage of work-related stress (Day & Gu 2014). In our research we are interested in what the beginning teachers tell about their relationships with principals and the organizational and micropolitical environment of the school. Micropolitical perspective is concerned with the organizational members’ interests and the strategies they utilize to further these interests (Kelctermans & Ballet 2002). In this study we understand emotions as social phenomena and a cultural frame, through which individuals attach value to their environment and act in it (Hargreaves 2001; Zembylas 2007). By focusing on possible challenges in the emerging relations within the school as a micropolitical environment, we aim to increase understanding of the importance of schools in supporting beginning teachers. We also offer ideas in developing the beginning teachers’ induction phase and easing the transition to working life. The research is conducted within the theoretical and methodological framework of narrativity. Despite being highly personal, narratives are also conditioned by the social and cultural context in which they are formed and excellent tools for research on personal and professional experiences (Clandinin & Connelly 2000; Spector-Mersel 2010). Research data consists of narratives from Finnish and Japanese beginning teachers. Our aim is to enrich and deepen the understanding of the phenomenon via analyzing cases not found in just either of the two countries.

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