School business managers in England: negotiating identity
International Journal of Educational Management
ISSN: 0951-354X
Article publication date: 10 September 2018
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to explore the concept of group identity formation amongst school business managers in the English school system.
Design/methodology/approach
Data were generated via a research project that employed semi-structured interviews with school business managers as a means of exploring their experiences as a relatively nascent group, carving out their own territory within a school system traditionally led and managed by trained educationalists.
Findings
The findings provide insight into the enabling and inhibiting factors encountered by school business managers in establishing and negotiating a distinguishable group identity within the wider school workforce including their variable career trajectories and motives, the suitability of their qualifications and the diverse composition of their roles.
Originality/value
The paper throws light on the identity formation of a cohort of the school workforce in England who are not directly involved in educational leadership or classroom practice but nevertheless play a crucial role in the ecosystem of the school. While the research reported is situated within England, the issues raised can be applied to education systems in other contexts given the universal importance of financial and organizational management in schools.
Keywords
Citation
Armstrong, P.W. (2018), "School business managers in England: negotiating identity", International Journal of Educational Management, Vol. 32 No. 7, pp. 1266-1277. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJEM-08-2017-0207
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2018, Emerald Publishing Limited