Abstract
Educational reform is essentially a cultural transformation process that requires organizational learning to occur: changing teachers is necessary, but not sufficient. Changing the organizational culture of the school is more imperative and indeed an urgent necessity. The culture of the education system as reflected in various schools must undergo radical change, with the main catalyst being the principals managing the process of formation, sustainability and change of the school culture. This paper has examined the internal and external factors influencing school culture especially the school founders, administrators and school history. Meanwhile key symbolic and cultural leadership roles of school principals were explored calling for the school principals to be role models as well as transformational leaders. Key mechanisms in management and change of school culture especially communication and decision making were equally examined. Lastly the paper engaged the nature of chaos and complexity that obtains in the process of school culture formation and change.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Alexander G (2011) Dealing with the complexities of integration in cultural diverse rural school communities in South Africa. Online J New Horiz Educ 1(1):1–12
Barley SR (1983) Semiotics and the study of occupational and organizational cultures. Adm Sci Q 28:393–413
Barnhardt R, Kawagley O (2003) Culture, chaos and complexity—catalysts for change in ındigenous education. CSQ Issue: 27.4 Indigenous Education and the Prospects for Cultural Survival
Berg PO (1985) Organizational change as a symbolic transformation process. In: Frost PJ, Moore LF, Louis MR, Lundber CC (eds) J Martin Organizational culture. Sage, Baverly Hills
Bredeson PW (1989) An analysis of metaphorical perspectives of school principals. Educ Adm Q 21(1):29–50
Broms H, Gahmberg H (1983) Communication to self in organizations and cultures. Adm Sci Q 28:482–495
Dandridge TC (1983) Symbols’ function and use. In Pondy LR, Frost P, Morgan G, Dandridge T (eds) Organizational symbolism, Greenwich, CT, Jai
Deal TE (1988) The symbolism of effective schools. In: Westboy A (ed) Culture and power in educational organizations. Open University, Milton Keynes
Deal TE (1990) Reframing reform. Educ Leadersh 47(8):6–12
Deal TE, Kennedy A (1982) Corporate cultures. Addision-Wesley, Massachusetts
Deal TE, Peterson KD (1990) The principal’s role in shaping school culture. Office of Educational Research and Improvement, Washington
Deal TE, Peterson KD (2009) Shaping school culture: pitfalls, paradoxes and promises, 2nd edn. Wiley, New York
Gahmberg H (1990) Metaphor management: on the semiotics of strategic management. In: Turner BA (ed) Organizational symbolism. De Gruyter, Berlin
Gordon D (1992) The symbolic dimension of administration for effective school. The Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association, San Francisco, CA, 20–25 Apr 1992
Kelly BE, Bredeson PV (1991) Measures of meaning in a public and in a parochial school: principals as symbol managers. J Educ Adm 29(3):6–22
Nanavati M, McCulloch B (2003) School culture and the changing role of the secondary vice principal. Research Report Prepared for the Ontario Principals’ Council
Pascale RT (1985) The paradox of corporate culture: reconciling ourselves to socialization. Calif Manage Rev 27(2):26–41
Proser J (1999) School culture. Paul Chapman, London
Schall MSA (1983) Communication-rules approach to organizational culture. Adm Sci Q 28:557–581
Şişman M (1994) Örgüt kültürü. Anadolu Üniversitesi, Eskişehir
Şişman M (2004) Örgütler açısından dil ve söylem: Okul yaşamının yeniden yorumlanmasına doğru. Akdeniz Üniversitesi Eğitim Fakültesi Dergisi 1(1):122–132
Şişman M (2007a) Etkili okullar oluşturmak için okulun kültürünü yeniden inşa etmek. Eğitime Bakış, Nisan-Mayıs-Haziran, pp 19–26
Şişman M (2007b) Örgütler ve kültürler. PegemA, Ankara
Şişman M, Turan S (2004) Örgütsel semboller ve eğitimde sembolik liderlik. Eğitim Yönetimi 37:96–117
Trice MH, Beyer JM (1984) Studying organizational cultures through rites and ceremonials. Acad Manag Rev 9(4):653–669
Wilkins AL (1983) Organizational stories as symbols which control the organization. In: Pondy LR, Frost P, Morgan G, Dandridge T (eds) Organizational symbolism. Greenwich, CT, Jai
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2015 Springer International Publishing Switzerland
About this paper
Cite this paper
Şişman, M. (2015). Leadership in the Formation and Change of School Culture. In: Erçetin, Ş., Banerjee, S. (eds) Chaos, Complexity and Leadership 2013. Springer Proceedings in Complexity. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-09710-7_8
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-09710-7_8
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-319-09709-1
Online ISBN: 978-3-319-09710-7
eBook Packages: Physics and AstronomyPhysics and Astronomy (R0)