Principals’ Systems Thinking

Shaked, Haim; Benoliel, Pascale; Nadav, Nechama; Schechter, Chen

doi:10.4324/9780203712184-4

Cited by 12 publications

(26 citation statements)

References 44 publications

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“…Schools involve increasingly interconnected professional networks based on relationships resulting in an increased complexity of school work (Nguyen et al, 2019). PST is a holistic approach which serves as an important framework for understanding wholes, their parts and how they interact (Shaked et al , 2018). In contrast to the prevailing reductionist approach that attempts to understand systems by breaking them down into sub-systems, PST focuses on the emerging organizational properties created by the ongoing interactions among the system's components.…”

Section: Theoretical Background and Hypothesesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…PST includes four major activities, namely adopting a multidimensional view, openness to a variety of opinions, leading wholes and evaluating significance , through which principals apply systems thinking (ST) in their schools. Several studies have demonstrated how PST can yield a number of positive effects, including school change and effectiveness as well as improved attitudes toward their job among teachers (Benoliel et al ., 2019; McGurk and Pearson, 2018; Nadav et al ., 2020; Shaked et al ., 2018). Yet, educational leadership research has stressed that leadership is not solely embedded in formal roles but often emerges from relationships between individuals (Lu and Hallinger, 2018).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Principals' systems thinking attribute: exploring a principal–middle leader relational demography perspective

Benoliel

Shaked²,

Nadav

et al. 2020

JEA

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PurposeRelying on information processing and attribution theories, which relate to the formation of leadership perceptions and attributes, the current study seeks to examine the relationship between demographic variables and principals' systems thinking (PST) in an integrated model. The present study purpose was threefold: first, the study seeks to examine whether attributions middle leaders make about PST may show substantial and systematic variance in a management team. Second, the study seeks to investigate the influence of principal–middle leaders’ relational demography variables (gender, education and tenure) (dis)similarity on middle leaders’ PST attribute. Finally, the study seeks to explore the moderating role of duration of principal- principal–middle leader acquaintance in the relationship of demographic (dis)similarity to PST.Design/methodology/approachData were collected from 305 dyads (middle leaders and their principals) from 101 schools. MANOVA analysis and hierarchical regression analyses were used to test the hypothesis.FindingsFindings showed that it is both appropriate and important to examine group-level effects when studying PST effects. Also, PST levels were higher in gender-similar relationships than in gender-dissimilar ones. Finally, duration of acquaintance was found to moderate the relationship between principal–middle leaders’ gender (dis)similarity and PST appraisal.Originality/valueFocusing on principal–middle leader relationships, which are explicitly relational, with a consideration for level relationships may potentially highlight the need to consider multiple levels of analysis in order to understand how PST attribution occurs. This focus can help us to capture the core of PST social dynamics among the dyad, as well as highlighting the distinction, if any, between in-groups and out-groups. Acknowledging that school faculty are motivated by their interpersonal relationships with their principals and how such relationships are contingent upon demography (dis)similarity and the duration of acquaintance between dyads may help to broaden the understanding regarding potential antecedents of middle leaders' PST attribution and its implication for school organizations.

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Section: Theoretical Background and Hypothesesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Principals' systems thinking attribute: exploring a principal–middle leader relational demography perspective

Benoliel

Shaked²,

Nadav

et al. 2020

JEA

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Organizational systems are defined by the organizational processes and structures that comprise the larger organizational whole. These include smaller, yet connected, things (e.g., parts, divisions, people, policies and practices) that work together in pursuit of a shared, coherent and goal-oriented whole (Checkland, 1985, 1999; Shaked et al , 2019; Weick, 1995). For example, factory organizations produce products, health-care organizations heal the sick and airlines ferry travelers to their destinations.…”

Section: Systems Thinkingmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Indeed, much of the literature concerning school improvement (Bryk et al , 2015; Jacobson, 2019; Murphy, 2016) and leadership (Boyce et al , 2018; Diamond et al , 2016; Southworth, 2002) has centered its attention on which of and how each of these parts, processes and policies and practices contribute to goals like student success, achievement and well-being. Yet, until recently (Hawkins et al , 2017; Shaked et al , 2019), little sustained and purposeful attention has been paid to work that explores how schools as systems foster or impede student learning.…”

Section: Systems Thinkingmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…When problem-solving work is distributed throughout the system a conceptual, holistic model of the issue(s) may be drawn. As Shaked et al (2019) suggest, these shared efforts can lead to the development of new understandings across the landscape of the problem-situation and enhanced school-level response.…”

Section: Employing Organizational Systems Thinking To Support Leadership Workmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Hiding in plain sight: systems thinking and school organization

Kruse

2020

JEA

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PurposeThe article asserts that systems thinking and its concurrent organizational processes are central organizing structures in schools, yet “hide in plain sight” and are therefore underexplored and underutilized in leadership theorizing.Design/methodology/approachBy exploring the theoretical literature concerning school organization and leadership, tensions and contradictions within the literature are surfaced. The article examines and critiques distributed leadership theory and provides new directions for thinking about leadership practice based on school organization literature.FindingsRecent work (Kruse and Johnson, 2017; Murphy, 2015, 2016) suggests that schools are far too complex to be led and managed by a single dedicated leader, yet the practice of leadership remains largely reified within the literature (Bryk et al., 2015), Insofar as leadership theory relies on narratives derived from and about work of “the” leader, it ignores the larger system. A contrasting literature is that of distributed leadership (Gronn, 2000; Spillane, 2006). Yet, even within that literature, the focus remains on interpersonal interactions and conjoint actions concerning school operation. While not dismissing the importance of leadership as a theoretical and practical construct, thinking about leadership as less a property of individuals and more a variable within effective organizational practice holds promise for the study of educational leadership.Originality/valueThis article extends the existing literature by suggesting how systems processes and structures serve school leaders in addressing the leadership demands of fostering continuous (rather than episodic) change, processing information and creating contextual local knowledge with the potential to enhance school outcomes.

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Principals' systems thinking and teachers' withdrawal behaviours: The intervening role of school structure and principal–teacher gender (dis)similarity

Nadav

Benoliel

Schechter

2022

British Educational Res J

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Relying on the contingency theory, the present study examines the influence of school characteristics and principal-teacher gender (dis)similarity on the relationship between principals' systems thinking (PST) and teacher withdrawal behaviours of absenteeism and intent to leave. Data were collected from two sources: 111 school management team members and 109 teachers (220 participants in total) randomly chosen from elementary schools in Israel. Hierarchical regression analyses showed that principalteacher dissimilarity and a bureaucratic school structure moderate the relationship between PST and teachers' withdrawal behaviours. These findings indicate that the organisational conditions under which principals practise systems thinking can affect teachers' withdrawal behaviours. Therefore, this study may advance theory and practise regarding the implications of PST on withdrawal behaviours, which are an important determinant of teachers' performance and a school's success.

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Principals’ Systems Thinking

Cited by 12 publications

References 44 publications

Principals' systems thinking attribute: exploring a principal–middle leader relational demography perspective

Principals' systems thinking attribute: exploring a principal–middle leader relational demography perspective

Hiding in plain sight: systems thinking and school organization

Principals' systems thinking and teachers' withdrawal behaviours: The intervening role of school structure and principal–teacher gender (dis)similarity

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