Contrasting perspectives on organizational culture change in schools

Abstract

The concept of organizational culture continues to be widely used for descriptive and explanatory purposes in academic, policy, and managerial debates in education and other contexts. The range of perspectives on its meaning, which are readily apparent in both educational and non-educational literature, is directly relevant to the analysis of organizational culture change. This article contributes to organizational culture change theory in education by conceptualizing different perspectives on organizational culture-external reality, interpretation, organization, competing subcultures, and process. It then analyzes aspects of an 8-year culture change process in a school staff group using the different perspectives to illustrate their utility. In the paper, we describe the methodology, outline the case study, explain each perspective, and explore the culture change process from that perspective. The paper concludes with a discussion of the usefulness of the analysis for understanding and organizing culture change in educational settings.

Novas Temporalidades Educacionais Na Construção Da Cultura Da Organização Escolar

“…ex., DEAL;KENNEDY, 1988;CUNNINGHAM;GRESSO, 1993;PETERSON;DEAL, 2009;FULLAN, 2003;HARGREAVES;FINK, 2007); e um movimento voltado para a compreensão crítica dos processos de construção das culturas organizacionais (movimento reflexivo) (p. ex., WESTOBY, 1985;ERICKSON, 1987;PROSSER, 1999;BUSH et al, 1999;JAMES;BEALES, 2011;CONNOLY;KRUISE, 2019). Referenciados a correntes epistemológicas e teóricas distintas, os estudos inscritos nestes movimentos mostram a complexidade do processo de construção da cultura e as tensões que presidem à sua análise.…”

Developing and proposing rational and valid principles for effective school governance in England

“…The cultural–cognitive pillar of institutionalisation comprises the collective sense-making schema that enable meaning-making and interpretation and the shared understandings of the nature of reality (Scott, 2014, Connolly, James, and Beales, 2011, Connolly and Kruse, 2019). It is grounded in cultural theory, a perspective that enables an understanding of the way organisational practices generate their own social dynamics (Douglas, 1982).…”

“…The significance of organisational culture, in all its interpretations, is acknowledged in the wider literature and in relation to schools. ‘Getting the culture right’ is deemed to be important (Connolly et al, 2011).…”

Desenganche escolar-cultura organizativa: implicaciones mutuas en las Aulas Ocupacionales

“…No existe una acotación conceptual unívoca y unánimemente aceptada de "Cultura Organizativa". Hay múltiples definiciones (Kotter, 1996;López Yáñez, 2004;Sarasola, 2004;Schein,1992;Van Houtte, 2005), tipologías (Connolly, James & Beales, 2011) así como diferentes análisis sobre las muchas culturas en conflicto dentro de la escuela (Brown, 2004). Se entenderá aquí que dicha expresión alude al conjunto de supuestos, creencias, valores, normas implícitas que subyacen y apuntalan lo que se hace en el centro escolar, sus rutinas pedagógicas y organizativas.…”