Educational leadership in a competitive state: a contradiction in terms?
International Journal of Educational Management
ISSN: 0951-354X
Article publication date: 15 June 2012
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to explore how important the choice of theoretical perspective is on the analyses of empirical data from a Danish case study.
Design/methodology/approach
The empirical bases for the analyses are qualitative, longitudinal case studies of school leadership in the International Successful School Principalship Project (ISSPP). This article discusses and compares analyses from two analytical perspectives. The first is a welfare state perspective, which includes education for democracy and social justice. The second perspective is a competitive state perspective. Here the educational focus is on educating for employability on a labour market.
Findings
School leaders are seen to comply with most of the demands of the competitive state: e.g. demands for negotiations and effectiveness. Leaders also intended to lead schools and education for democracy and social justice.
Originality/value
The limitations and possibilities are described more clearly than usual. They therefore provide deeper insights into the complexities of school leadership.
Keywords
Citation
Moos, L. (2012), "Educational leadership in a competitive state: a contradiction in terms?", International Journal of Educational Management, Vol. 26 No. 5, pp. 461-469. https://doi.org/10.1108/09513541211240255
Publisher
:Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2012, Emerald Group Publishing Limited