& These are the cultural, verbal, visual and behavioral components of the school in action through which a wide range of cultural messages and aims will be delivered. Deciding which cultural assumptions to attempt to embed in the design and delivery of development, including the degree to which they will replicate or challenge dominant cultures; Deciding how best to equip leaders with intercultural competence, so that they in their turn can decide which cultural assumptions to attempt to embed in their school leadership, including the degree to which they will replicate or challenge dominant cultures. More research of this kind, exploring fit not only to the dominant culture of the nation/region, but also fit to the multiple cultures within the nation or region would provide a potentially powerful antidote to programs which are currently not culturally inclusive. (Litvin, 1997, pp. , He suggests that schools are bastions of conservatism, not centers of social experimentation. The radical modernization of school and education system leadership in the United Arab Emirates: towards indigenized and educative leadership. , & Tin, L. Essentially it makes a questionable assumption. The organization's relationship to its environment. Cartwright, M. ), Culture, Leadership, and Organizations: the GLOBE study of 62 Societies (pp. Cultural inputs have many facets these will include the external cultural context (society, community and economy at local, regional and national scales), and the cultures brought to the school by all those engaging with it (teachers, parents, pupils, for example). Unproductive, toxic schools have fragmented staffs, eroding goals, and negative, hopeless atmospheres. House Nor is it amoral. as aberrations instead of being endemic to organizations (Hoyle & Wallace, 2005, p. 116). P.J. However House et al. International Studies in Educational Administration, 29(2) 3037. Changing the culture of a school or of a leadership development program is therefore not a finite endeavor. A welfarist culture, alternatively, emphasizes the individual needs of pupils. The assumed commonality in attributes and behaviors may also be evident in axiological assumptions. Diversity and the demands of leadership. Kachelhoffer, P. Any research which attempts to map such differences in concept and practice will face severe methodological challenges. Online publication date: May 2009, Print ISBN: 9780415988476 An international perspective on leadership preparation. In part this reflects a revolt against the perceived global homogenization of leadership. Those attempting to loosen the bonds of dominant cultures implicit in preparation and development programs research and write within the very dominant orientations they are trying to question (Gronn, 2001). Collard, J. No one theory of leadership is implied. Hodgkinson (2001) argues that culture is always determining, subliminally and subconsciously, our value orientation and judgments. Those undertaking preparation for development may have differing value priorities which are culturally shaped. There exists a considerable literature on culture, which provides a range of conceptualizations. (2001). For example, Walker, Bridges and Chan (1996) provide a rare example of research into the fit of a particular learning approach, problem-based-learning, to a specific cultural context, Hong Kong. School culture . The first proposes four 'ideal type' school cultures, based on two underlying domains; the second, a more elaborate and dynamic model, proposes two 'ideal type' school cultures, based on five underlying structures. (2004). If leaders believe that a dominant culture is identifiable or achievable, and that it is a single, stable and unifying phenomenon, then changing it becomes a matter of choice, but relatively straightforward and without any moral ramifications. & ), Leading Schools in a Global Era: A Cultural Perspective, Peabody Journal of Education, Litvin, D. R. L. Stoll, D. Fink. & (Eds. The very public travails of The Ridings School have further heightened the national preoccupation with ineffective schools. Bush 331360). Finally, we identify key issues and areas for future research. 178190). Culture can then be viewed in shorthand as: Cultural isolation is difficult, even in societies which seek strongly to conserve traditional cultural values within their educational systems. Clearly in these two instances, Western derived theories of autonomy, planning and change management are all thrown into question. It is probably for this reason that . While these are different aims, they both involve intercultural fluency. & The processes of cultural change in schools have been considered extensively in the literature (e.g. Just as there is an interplay between culture and modes of delivery, assessment may also be rendered more or less effective by the degree of cultural fit. We must be aware that the spread of good practice internationally through the educational management literature, through the actions of international organisations such as UNESCO, and through the impact of professional development programmes, all of which are dominated by the perspectives of western educational management practitioners and academics, is in danger of presenting such a global picture of good practice. & (See, for example, Buruma and Margal-its book, Occidentalism: The west in the eyes of its enemies.) Chan, B. & Metaphorically culture is like the air we breathe; all around us, vital, and yet difficult to discern and to change. a set of shared values and preferred actions among members of a society that largely determines among other things, the boundaries within which leader development is possible. It is characterized by very limited research at the within school subunit scale, and by the adoption of generalized models of culture from business and management disciplines at whole-school or national/international scales of analysis. | Terms & conditions. Tippeconic, J. C+. A key influence on culture within and beyond schools has been globalization. Cultural influences on organizational leadership. and 'learning school'; and contacts with leading experts in this area of work which led to identification of additional literature. Cultural complexity offers only multiple complications in assessing fit, not safe generalized conclusions. Gupta The first is the blending of western (or, more correctly, exogenous) cultural values with existing cultures to generate a new cultural environment, a model sometimes described as the melting pot perspective. Cultures and Organisations: Software of the Mind. Aitken, R. Bennett Trond Towards a framework of investigating leadership praxis in intercultural. , & Brunner The key issue, of course, arising from globalization is that educational leaders will be faced increasingly with challenges to manage cultural change within their institution. Hofstede, G. International Studies in Educational Administration, 32(2), 417. In ), The University Council for Educational Administration: Handbook of Research on the Education of School Leaders, Lumby, J. (Hargreaves 1995; Maslowski 2001, pp. In the opening chapter to this section of the Handbook, Fink and Stoll review the contemporary field of educational change and ask why educational change is so difficult to understand and achieve in present times. | Privacy policy In the absence of a similarly complex or authoritative study of the cultural factors in educational leadership, the design of much preparation and development seems to adhere to an assumed commonality and to avoid detailed engagement with the culturally contingent (Lumby et al., forthcoming), resulting in an international curriculum for school leadership preparation (Bush & Jackson, 2002, pp. International Journal of Leadership In Education, 4(4),297307. ), Culture, Leadership, and Organizations: the GLOBE study of 62 Societies (pp. Panel 4 A Typology of School Cultures. Stoll and Fink (1996) developed a model in determining the school culture. The project established 21 common perceived effective leadership attributes and behaviors within the 57 participating nations, providing evidence of widespread assumptions about leadership. As we shall demonstrate later in the chapter, it is getting to understand these values and beliefs that is a critical first step for educational leaders in developing the skills to manage, develop and evolve culture in their school. Bryant, M. C. (Eds. | Promotions Begley, P. , The challenge for educational leaders is to recognize and conceptualize each of these cultural realms and understand how it impacts on and provides implications for their own school. Goddard, T. (2005). (2000). Celikten, M. (2004). New York: Teachers College Press. The focus on culture at the macro or societal level is matched by concern with the micro or organizational level, the school level. Cultural diversity and group work effectiveness. Fullan, M. I am a member of the publication's editorial board and strongly support the publication, Authored by: These may be through processes of exclusion or processes of inclusion, resulting in a relatively homogeneous or diverse student body, but in either case the outcome will be a pupil profile which reflects a particular set of cultural characteristics. Such a knowledge base would allow theory to be developed in a more culturally aware way. (Eds. Hothouse culture exists where the pressure is to high academic achievement, typically in response to government or parental pressure to deliver high quality examination results. Processual competencies, comprising intrapersonal competencies and cognitive competencies (2003, p.84), are also needed. Cross-cultural issues in development of leaders. , (1996). & , & International Studies in Educational Administration. (2000) Leadership and Culture in Chinese Education. , What we mean by the term culture is both argued to be generally understood (Lumby, Walker, Bryant, Bush & Bjork, forthcoming) and suggested not to be understood, misunderstood or so variously understood as to be verging on meaningless. Not only may there be particular cultural assumptions about the relationship between staff and principal, the principal and regional/national authorities, but underpinning ontological assumptions may be distinctive. I refer students to this publication for new research articles or for my work, Acquisition of this publication will benefit department, faculty and student needs, I am a member of the publication's editorial board and strongly support the publication. International Journal for Leadership in Education, 4(4), 309319. Bottery (1999) has described this as managerial globalization, in which the adoption of western managerialist approaches and business-based forms of accountability underpins educational reform and development. , However, over a decade ago, Heck (1996) suggested that advances in statistical methods held some hope of achieving conceptual and metric equivalence in investigating theoretical models across nations and within organizations. Handy, C. (1986). It will therefore involve engagement with the moral choices which lie at the heart of leadership. Educational Administration Quarterly, 39(1), 6894. Personal or student reference I refer students to this publication for new research articles or for my work, Benefit library's collection Acquisition of this publication will benefit department, faculty and student needs, Affiliation Dorfman, P. W. See all results for "" Log In La Habra High School . The third element of the system is the cultural output of the school. Sarason, S. While the former classroom and lecture based model is widespread, they suggest that the process model of problem solving, mentoring and internship holds more hope of reflecting indigenous cultures. At the exogenous level, there appears to be widespread cultural homogeneity implicit in leadership development; that is, whether explicitly acknowledged or not, development is underpinned by some degree of belief in leadership as an invariable activity (Walker & Walker, 1998; Bhindi & Duignan, 1997): this despite recognition that even the word leader has very different connotations in different cultures (House, 2004). 206207), There are no essential, innate and immutable characteristics of race, age, gender, disability or other demographic categories. Litvin (1997) attacks such essentialism, ascribing the taxonomy of groups to a Western Platonic purportedly scientific paradigm. Moller, J. Journal of School Leadership, Coleman, M. Instead there are history, context, process, interactivity, power relations and change. Although researchers are just beginning to document the effectiveness of the PLC culture, early indications show that it has a significant positive effect on student learning (Lee & Smith, 1996; Louis & Marks, 1998; Stoll et al., 2006; Wiley, 2001). Leithwood , (2003). Secondly, investigations of the cultural fit of transmission and process models of learning would support those responsible for design in making more appropriate choices. Hoppe asserts that US leaders find difficulty with accepting supportive relationships. London: Sage. Instead there are history, context, process, interactivity, power relations and change. & & House His ideas were widely influential. In many ways this is the summation of the school and reflects its overall purpose and aims, which have two distinct dimensions. Find Washington Middle School test scores, student-teacher ratio, parent reviews and teacher stats. Training and educating principals for such cultural literacy is the focus of later sections in this chapter. Hallinger (1999). Morgan, G. , London: Sage. (forthcoming) distinguish transmission models, where experts pass on theoretical knowledge (often indiscriminately, as discussed earlier), and process models which use more community based styles of learning. Watch online from home or on the go. Preparing leaders involves considering the nature and impact of culture on the crafting of their development (for example, the curriculum or mode of delivery). One of the best known is that applied to schools by Handy and Aitken (1986), which draws on observations across diverse organizations. In terms of cultural outputs school leaders need to understand both what the external societies expect from the school and what they wish to achieve themselves this will require an integration of their personal and professional values, their vision of the purpose of schooling, and the visions and values of the key external stakeholders. Systems theory enables us to conceptualize every school and educational organization as being characterized 1) by a range of inputs, 2) by the processes in operation within the school, and 3) by a set of outputs and in each of these three elements of the system we can identify culture as a key component. , Stoll (2000) gave a general definition on the foundations of school's cultures. Everyone expects superiors to enjoy privileges, and status symbols are very important. The New Meaning of Educational Change (3rd ed.). London: Paul Chapman. (2003). typology of Rosenholtz (1989) differentiates static and dynamic school culture. Day One of the best known divisions was by Stoll and Fink (2000), which distinguishes mobile, . There have, of course, been many more attempts to categorize school cultures, each offering a particular perspective to illuminate the nature and effects of culture. Daily challenges for school leaders.I In , Chinese culture and leadership. Crawford (Eds. You can find out more in our Privacy Policy. & At the interface with exogenous and endogenous cultures, preparation and development reflect choices which are more than technical. Story This unique culture will reveal itself through a number of institutional characteristics: While these representations are identifiable and mostly tangible, the illusiveness of the concept of culture lies in the fact that it is an holistic concept which is more than the sum of these component parts. Culture and Agency. For example, 86% of the worldwide variance on individualism-collectivism and 70% of variance across power-distance are found in Europe (Sparrow & Hiltrop, 1998, p. 73). School Culture Edited by: Jon Prosser Publisher: SAGE Publications Ltd Publication year: 1999 Online pub date: June 19, 2012 Discipline: Education Subject: Social/Philosophical Foundations, School Culture & Climate, Sociology of Education (general) DOI: https:// doi. Hoyle, E. Shah, S. & (2004), Understanding valuation processes; exploring the linkage between motivation and action. Two examples will suffice to illustrate this, though. (1985). Newbury Park, CA: Sage. & A second view, though, is that of leaders as agents of cultural change, as discussed earlier in the chapter. The first proposes four 'ideal type' school cultures, based on two underlying domains; the second, a more elaborate and dynamic model, proposes two 'ideal type' school cultures, based on five underlying structures. (2001). Crossing the great divides: problems of cultural diffusion for leadership in education. Teacher cultures have received most . The design of curriculum and delivery is therefore to an extent a cultural guessing game requiring those responsible for preparation and development to hold a high level of cultural fluency themselves and to support the development of cultural fluency in others. (2007). Consequently, a tendency to stereotype or discount alternative cultures must be halted by conscious, persistent effort (Lumby with Coleman, 2007). Hodgkinson, C. M. (2004). Leithwood, K. Washington, K. , Such a perspective suggests that the dominant culture, were it to be discerned with any certainty, would be embedded, unexamined and therefore unchallenged, in preparation and development programs. (2006). Jacky Lumby Complex and important concept School culture is one of the most complex and important concepts in education. The former has received very little and the latter a good deal more attention (Gronn, 2001; Heck, 1996). The cacophony of objections highlights the failure of development programs to accommodate the diversity of culture within one geographic area as much as across widely distant locations. Challenging the boundaries of sameness: leadership through valuing difference. Understanding Schools as Organisations We have looked at three theoretical aspects of culture here. Despite the difficulties of establishing the meaning of the concept of culture, it is used ubiquitously as a key variable, Janus-like, suggested both to influence and be influenced by a range of factors which impact on education. Effects of cultural diversity on in-class communication and student project team dynamics: Creating synergy in the diverse classroom. , Subordinates expect superiors to act autocratically. While awareness of and reflection on hegemonic theory may be of use, its global dominance in preparation and development seems inappropriate on a number of grounds. The first relates to the ways the day-to-day operations of the school interact with the outside world. Preliminary explorations of indigenous perspectives of educational management, Journal of Educational Administration, 34(5), 5073. The challenge for leaders, therefore, is to manage that change in terms of speed, direction or nature to support the organizations goals. (Hoppe, 2004, p. 333). (2003). Its view of human nature is there a belief that people are essentially good, neutral or evil? San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. Bjork, L. (2001). Walnut Elementary 625 N. Walnut St. La Habra, CA 90631 Phone: 562-690-2369. (1996). Cultural Influences on Leadership and Organizations: Project Globe. Prasad, P. Sparrow, P. Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology. & Duignan, P. eBook ISBN: 9780203872239 Adobe J. Such simple categorizations provide briefly interesting analytical tools to assist school leaders in gaining an initial understanding of their school culture, but are of limited wider utility. The concept of culture has appeared frequently in analyses of both. Lumby, J. School administration in China: a look at the principals role. International Journal for Leadership in Education, 4(4), 401414. Hallinger, P. In R. J. Informa UK Limited, an Informa Group Company Home | About RHO | Collections Powell, Farrar and Cohen (1985) used research from fifteen high schools to depict a culture of easy and uncritical acceptance of underachievement. Sapre and Ranade (2001, p. 379) deplore the fact that there is very little in modern Indian education that is truly rooted in the culture, tradition and genius of its people. Head teachers in rural China: aspects of ambition. Education. Commentary. Who. ing the micropolitic and the school culture as key components to study school improvement . (2001). , Culture can take different forms. & A more flexible and subtle shaping will be needed. The GLOBE project was undertaken in a business context. (1996). Research has shown the principal to be a significant factor in school effectiveness (Hallinger & Heck, 1999). School culture, therefore, is most clearly "seen" in the ways people relate to and work together; the management of the school's structures, systems and physical environment; and the extent to which there is a learning focus for both pupils and adults, including the nature of that focus. Mills, M. School leaders work within pressing cultures which sustain themselves by multiple conscious and unconscious mechanisms (Lumby with Coleman, 2007). As in the acquisition of any language, fluency can only be achieved by practice and not just by theory (Taras & Rowney, 2007). Conceptualizing the schools culture through such a systems approach helps clarify the challenges for school leaders in relation to culture. Wong, K-C. Educational leadership: an Islamic perspective. Bridges, E. R. The mechanics of diffusion and the appropriateness of the results have been subject to unequal research interest. Lumby, J. Duke, D. L. . (forthcoming) point up the greater sensitivity within some cultures where responsibility for success is group owned and/ or where maintaining face is a high priority. Schools with strong, positive cultures feature service-oriented staffs, a collegial ambience, celebratory rituals, supportive social networks, and humor. These can have negative or positive dimensions the media report of the schools excellent examination results will convey a different message about the schools culture than a local reputation for rowdy behavior by the schools pupils during lunchtime breaks. , & Dorfman and House (2004) suggest three competing propositions: that cultural congruence in development and leadership is more effective; that cultural difference can be stimulating and bring about positive change; that leadership is universal activity. & The Culture of the School and the Problem of Change. The attempt to mould culture in any direction involves alignment with some and challenge to others. E. V. Velsor, E. V. All this is set within a strongly performative macro context in many countries. Stoll and Fink identified 10 cultural norms that influence school improvement (see summary in Panel 2). Leadership and Organization Development Journal, 14(1), 3035. & Leaders interact with culture at the organizational level both in terms of efforts to include the multiple cultures which may be present and also to sustain, adapt or change the dominant culture. Intercultural Education. Kantamara, P. we elaborated a typology of school improvement trajectories: we identi ed 4 di erent trajectories of school improvement. (1982). As Foskett and Lumby (2003, p. 8) indicate: V. Managing diversity in transnational project teams. The chapter aims to avoid becoming ensnared in the complexity of culture by confining its discussion to a sample of illustrative examples of both simple and complex conceptualizations. She argues that a school's culture 'is shaped by the history, context, and the people in it ' (p. . (2005). Stoll & Fink (1996) created a typology of five types of school culture: moving (dynamic and successful determination to keep developing), cruising (rather complacent, often with privileged learners who achieve despite little school dynamism), strolling (neither particularly effective or ineffective, but long term not keeping pace with change . C. In Saudi Arabia a command system is accepted by culture and tradition and schools have, in any case, little power to take decisions. As within continents or regions, within each nation, a common culture cannot be assumed, the differences between the culture of Native Americans, Hispanic and African American women and that of white males within the United States being an example given above. Stoll, & Mackay, 2014). (2004). R. J. However, process models may not mesh with some cultures. As a consequence, leaders must be equipped to work with both imported as well as indigenous culture. (2007). Journal of School Leadership, 12(2), 693720. Gender and race in leadership preparation: a constrained discourse. & (Ed.). This may be interpreted in several ways ranging from the operational to the political. ), Effective educational leadership (pp. One consequence is that there is currently no precise means of assessing dimensions variously labeled as cultural distance or degree of diversity (Iles & Kaur Hayers, 1997, p. 107) or diversity amount and diversity degree (Thomas, 1999; Taras & Rowney, 2007); that is the differences between the culture of one location of leader development and another, or the extent of cultural differences within a leader development group. Ribbins ), Managing the Organizational Melting Pot: Dilemmas of Workplace Diversity (pp. M. Schein (1985, p.6) considers the basic essence of an organisation's culture to be: Very many illustrations could be offered of the different expectations and practice of leadership throughout the world. The result is that most preparation and development takes egalitarian participation and transformational leadership as key (Bush & Jackson, 2002). They begin by discussing the historical, social and organizational forces that create continuity in education; which . Panel 3. School culture can have an positive. Qiang, H. Organizational development in the Arab world. Spicing it op: Blending perspectives of leadership and cultural values from Hispanic American and African American women scholars. The values they espouse or eschew, the aspirations and achievements they have, and their contribution to communities (local, regional, national), whether positive or negative are the cultural product of the school. , 6886). (2007). This paper aims to explore how the formation of Palestinian teachers' professional identity was affected by their experiences during the violent conflict known as the Second Intifada (2000-2005) and its impact on the school social culture. Kaur Hayers, P. , However culture is often defined in broad general terms as, for example, the way we do things around here (Deal & Kennedy, 1982), obscuring complex and contested conceptualizations. This search included empirical studies and theoretical pieces. The adoption of similar sets of competences, for example, reflects to some degree airbrushing out the influence of local culture (Davis, 2001; Macpherson, Kachelhoffer & El Nemr, 2007). School principals in transition. Stoll and Fink (1996) created a typology of five types of school culture: moving (dynamic and successful determination to keep developing), cruising (rather complacent, often with privileged learners who achieve despite little school dynamism), strolling (neither particularly effective or ineffective, but long term not keeping pace with change), struggling (ineffective but trying to address issues), and finally sinking (ineffective and not improving). Jackson, D. A primary aim of the chapter therefore is to explore how we understand culture in its infinitely variable expressions, and how it relates to the design and implementation of leadership preparation and development programs. (2007). Multiple perspectives on values and ethical leadership. Within this, however, there may exist several cultures: Stoll and Fink (1996)25 pupil culture, teacher cultures, a leadership culture, non-teaching staff culture, and parent culture. (2004). Cultural globalization is the international transfer of values and beliefs, and while strictly it is multi-directional it is typically perceived as dominated by the spread of western, particularly American, values and symbols across the globe. School culture, school effectiveness and school improvement. (1971). The Leadership Quarterly, 7(2), 163187. How principals manage ethnocultural diversity: Learnings from three countries. A number of summative frameworks for analyzing culture have therefore been developed which seek to reduce the complexity of culture to simplified types which can be labeled for ease of comprehension. School values were assessed by aggregating the scores of 862 students, (ages 15-19) in 32 Jewish and Arab Israeli schools (Study 1), and 1,541 students (ages 11-21) from 8 European schools and 163 teachers from 6 of these schools (Study 2), using Schwartz's Portrait Values Questionnaire. Bajunid (1996, p. 52) argued over a decade ago that in Malaysia there is an urgent need to inspire, motivate and work with relevant and meaningful concepts that the locals are at home and familiar with and to free educational leadership and management from the intellectual domination of Greco-Roman, Christian, Western intellectual traditions (1996, p. 63). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Washington Middle School located in La Habra, California - CA. Discourse and Organization. For example, culture is suggested to both shape and reflect values (Begley & Wong, 2001), philosophy (Ribbins & Zhang, 2004), gender (Celikten, 2005), religion (Sapre & Ranade, 2001), politics (Hwang, 2001), ethnicity (Bryant, 1998) and history (Wong, 2001).