Leading from the middle: vice-principals in Singapore as boundary spanners
Journal of Educational Administration
ISSN: 0957-8234
Article publication date: 25 September 2020
Issue publication date: 27 February 2021
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to examine leading from the middle, which is consistent with calls to distribute leadership, while expanding the direction of influence, from the normal top-down to include a bottom-up or lateral direction. The paper proposes that the position of the vice-principal enables the role incumbent to lead from the middle as a boundary spanner. The research question was what leadership from the middle looks like for vice-principals.
Design/methodology/approach
The study consisted of interviews of 28 vice-principals and 10 principals. A mixed case and theme-oriented strategy was adapted, with member checking with each vice-principal.
Findings
The findings indicate that in leading from the middle, vice-principals play boundary spanning roles of connecting, translating and brokering: (1) connecting between organisational levels, (2) translating between vision/direction and actualisation, (3) connecting between middle managers and (4) brokering and translating between the ministry and the school.
Originality/value
Leading from the middle is a nascent concept which is worth exploring, given the complexity of educational systems with multiple ecological levels, and the need for leadership to create coherence between the levels.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
This study was funded by Singapore Ministry of Education (MOE) under the Education Research Funding Programme (OER 30/17 HPY) and administered by National Institute of Education (NIE), Nanyang Technological University, Singapore. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Singapore MOE and NIE.
Citation
Ho, J., Kang, T. and Shaari, I. (2021), "Leading from the middle: vice-principals in Singapore as boundary spanners", Journal of Educational Administration, Vol. 59 No. 2, pp. 145-161. https://doi.org/10.1108/JEA-05-2020-0123
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
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