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Building new bridges: Linking organization theory with other educational literatures

Bob L. Johnson Jr (Department of Educational Leadership and Policy, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA)
Michael Owens (Department of Educational Leadership and Policy, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA)

Journal of Educational Administration

ISSN: 0957-8234

Article publication date: 1 February 2005

1863

Abstract

Purpose

This paper provides an example of how organization theory can be linked with other literatures in a complementary and productive manner. Establishing a bridge between the organization theory and learning environment literatures, the authors seek to provide an example of how such literature‐bridging can enrich our understanding of the school‐classroom relationship.

Design/methodology/approach

After providing a set of working criteria with which to assess the developmental maturity of a field, this paper provides a general review of the learning environments literature. This is followed by an examination of an important yet under‐explored relationship in this literature: the school‐classroom relationship. Using concepts from organizational theory, the authors seek to establish the utility these concepts have for understanding the relationship that exists between classroom‐ and school‐level learning environments.

Findings

Given the importance of organization theory to our understanding of educational organizations and the increased absence of a substantive organizational perspective from our dialogue, there is a need to build and/or reestablish bridges between organization theory and other lines of inquiry in education. Teaching and learning occur in an organizational context. Thus it is important that this context be considered by educational researchers. The time has also come to aggressively link the study of learning environments with literatures such as organization theory.

Originality/value

This paper provides an example of how literature‐bridging can be used to encourage and enrich dialogue between separate yet complementary lines of inquiry. It also sheds light on the relationship shared between the classroom and larger school.

Keywords

Citation

Johnson, B.L. and Owens, M. (2005), "Building new bridges: Linking organization theory with other educational literatures", Journal of Educational Administration, Vol. 43 No. 1, pp. 41-59. https://doi.org/10.1108/09578230510577281

Publisher

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Emerald Group Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2005, Emerald Group Publishing Limited

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