“Irresponsible Leadership” and Unethical Practices in Schools: A Conceptual Framework of the “Dark Side” of Educational Leadership

Abstract

This chapter focuses on a proposed framework of irresponsible leadership (IRL) that might emerge in our schools under certain circumstances. A second purpose is to analyze potential ways to prevent its rise, based on previous models of educational leadership. Broadly, IRL is composed of five elements: narrow view of education, a business-like view of the teacher–student relations, a Narcissist and ego-centrist view, self-centered decision making, and emotional unawareness and poor emotion regulation. Unsurprisingly, IRL results in decreased levels of teachers’ and students’ well-being, unethical school climate, a lack of social responsibility in the teacher lounge, and school failure. To prevent these and related results, three major leadership models in education – participative, moral and social justice, and instructional – were analyzed.

Citation

Oplatka, I. (2016), "“Irresponsible Leadership” and Unethical Practices in Schools: A Conceptual Framework of the “Dark Side” of Educational Leadership", The Dark Side of Leadership: Identifying and Overcoming Unethical Practice in Organizations (Advances in Educational Administration, Vol. 26), Emerald Group Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 1-18. https://doi.org/10.1108/S1479-366020160000026001