1.4 Theories of educational management  (Page 25/29)

Collegial models are attractive because they advocate teacher participation in decision-making. Many principalsaspire to collegiality, a claim that rarely survives rigorous scrutiny. The collegial framework all too often provides thesetting for political activity or“top-down”decision-making (Bush, 2003).

The cultural model’s stress on values and beliefs, and the subjective theorists’emphasis on the significance of individual meanings, also appear to be both plausible andethical. In practice, however, these may lead to manipulation as leaders seek to impose their own values on schools andcolleges.

The increasing complexity of the educational context may appear to lend support to the ambiguity model with itsemphasis on turbulence and anarchy. However, this approach provides few guidelines for managerial action and leads to the view that“there has to be a better way.”

The six models differ along crucial dimensions but taken together they do provide a comprehensivepicture of the nature of management in educational institutions. Figure 2

compares the main features of the six models.

Attempts at synthesis

Each of the models discussed in this volume offers valid insights into the nature of leadership and managementin schools and colleges. Yet all the perspectives are limited in that they do not give a complete picture of educationalinstitutions.“Organizations are many things at once! They are complex and multifaceted. They are paradoxical. That’s why the challenges facing management are so difficult. In any givensituation there may be many different tendencies and dimensions, all of which have an impact on effective management”(Morgan, 1997, p. 347).

The inadequacies of each theory, taken singly, have led to a search for a comprehensive model thatintegrates concepts to provide a coherent analytical framework. Chapman (1993) stresses the need for leaders to develop thisbroader perspective in order to enhance organizational effectiveness:“Visionary and creative leadership and effective management in education require a deliberate and conscious attemptat integration, enmeshment and coherence”(p. 212).

Enderud (1980), and Davies and Morgan (1983), have developed integrative models incorporating ambiguity,political, collegial and formal perspectives. These syntheses are based on the assumption that policy formation proceeds through fourdistinct phases which all require adequate time if the decision is to be successful. These authors assume an initial period of highambiguity as problems, solutions and participants interact at appropriate choice opportunities. This anarchic phase serves toidentify the issues and acts as a preliminary sifting mechanism. If conducted properly it should lead to an initial coupling ofproblems with potential solutions.

The output of the ambiguous period is regarded as the input to the political phase. This stage ischaracterized by bargaining and negotiations and usually involves relatively few participants in small, closed committees. Theoutcome is likely to be a broad measure of agreement on possible solutions.