عنوان

Middle management in a secondary school :

TLets289466

Middle management in a secondary school :

[Thesis]

Woodhouse, Mick.

an action research project

University of Huddersfield

2003

Ph.D.

University of Huddersfield

2003

This action research study examines the problems of a middle manager in a school,managing teams to deliver an operational project with little formal authority. Themain objective of this study is to find out how a project can be managed in the mosteffective and efficient way when the teams involved have mixed work place loyaltiesand are operating within a restricted environment of limited resources. Themanagement focus was on the micro-management of staff to influence performanceand improve practice, including the performance of the practitioner-researcher.The study is set using a paradigm of symbolic interactionism based on qualitativeresearch methods using action research. Primary data were gathered during twomajor research cycles each lasting an academic year.Data were collected using a series of participant logs, a detailed researcher log and indepthinterviews with the teams and individuals. In the first cycle, a critical friendalso provided data. The study presents the advantages and limitations of themethodology and suggests ways of reducing these limitations and enhancing thetrustworthiness of the findings.The complexity of managing teams of form tutors who have multiple job roles andcommitments in an inner city school environment is also highlighted. The study alsoraised sensitive issues and ethics in terms of the data that were generated when basedon the performance and attitudes of participants.The main finding of this study was the importance of applying a range of methodswhich in isolation would have limited effects, but which produced a synergy of effectwhen applied together. These methods were based around the framework ofBuchanan and Boddy's (1992), Public Performance-Backstaging Strategy. Theframework included the use of traditional-rational-linear strategies backed up by apolitical management style. This study applied this basic framework to a specificschool setting and introduced other strategies often at the micro level to influencestaff.The study also shows the effectiveness of applying a different emphasis of strategy todifferent groups, from high to under performing staff. Some tactics were shown to bemore effective; some worked well with some staff but had the opposite effect withother individuals. The efficiency of various techniques was investigated, some ofwhich were shown to result in a high energy and emotional cost for the manager. Thestudy concludes by showing that in certain circumstances it was more expedient toadopt a management of dilemmas approach rather than seek a total solution to aproblem.

Leadership

Woodhouse, Mick.

University of Huddersfield

p

[Thesis]

276903

a

Y