hkr.sePublications
Change search
CiteExportLink to record
Permanent link

Direct link
Cite
Citation style
  • apa
  • ieee
  • modern-language-association-8th-edition
  • vancouver
  • Other style
More styles
Language
  • de-DE
  • en-GB
  • en-US
  • fi-FI
  • nn-NO
  • nn-NB
  • sv-SE
  • Other locale
More languages
Output format
  • html
  • text
  • asciidoc
  • rtf
Making sense of assignment: on the complexity of being a school leader
Kristianstad University, Faculty of Business, Research environment Governance, Regulation, Internationalization and Performance (GRIP. Kristianstad University, Faculty of Business, Avdelningen för arbetsliv. Kristianstad University, Forskningsmiljön Arbete i skolan (AiS).ORCID iD: 0000-0002-0156-388X
Kristianstad University, Faculty of Business, Research environment Governance, Regulation, Internationalization and Performance (GRIP. Kristianstad University, Research Platform for Collaboration for Health. Kristianstad University, Faculty of Business, Avdelningen för arbetsliv. Kristianstad University, Faculty of Health Science, Forskningsmiljön Människa - Hälsa - Samhälle (MHS).
Linnaeus University.
2018 (English)In: Nordic journal of comparative and international education (NJCIE), ISSN 2535-4051, Vol. 2, no 2-3, p. 149-164Article in journal (Refereed) Published
Abstract [en]

he primary aim of this paper is to narrow down the description of how school leaders interpret the assignment (the task) and identify the markers for how they look upon the conditions of doing a good job in Sweden. The aim is in the context of practice-based and process-oriented research. We use complexity and complexity theories to frame the emerging practice of leading and organizing. This is in contrast to technocratic homogenization—that is, law texts, steering documents, documentation, standardized methods, planning, and ceremonies. A questionnaire was conducted with three open questions (n=363 out of a possible 548 participants) and four focus groups (n=21). Complexity, dilemmas, and inconsistency emerge in the respondents’ answers the closer they are to everyday action. The results show that complexity theories put focus on a conflict between the image of schools as complicated and complex. Complicated is accompanied by generalizing and weak contextualizing of control systems, standardized methods, planning, law texts, and evidence-based education—that is, the concept of technocratic homogenization. Complexity theories emphasize the life in organizations, everyday practice as leaders, and a conflict between weak and robust contextualizing from the perspective as practice-based and process-oriented research.

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
2018. Vol. 2, no 2-3, p. 149-164
Keywords [en]
Assignment; complexity theory; practice-based and process research; technocratic homogenization Introduction
National Category
Social Sciences
Identifiers
URN: urn:nbn:se:hkr:diva-18851DOI: 10.7577/njcie.2770OAI: oai:DiVA.org:hkr-18851DiVA, id: diva2:1266506
Available from: 2018-11-28 Created: 2018-11-28 Last updated: 2020-10-28Bibliographically approved

Open Access in DiVA

fulltext(1081 kB)209 downloads
File information
File name FULLTEXT01.pdfFile size 1081 kBChecksum SHA-512
c78637ced63506579341931e1e89fd43e13afce7cccffff6a73a86ba2c6f04ce50c4f7ce84501613b3788ecbad2d4eeeb98d2f2be5326f23a4babb5b17dceaa8
Type fulltextMimetype application/pdf

Other links

Publisher's full text

Authority records

Augustinsson, SörenEricsson, Ulf

Search in DiVA

By author/editor
Augustinsson, SörenEricsson, Ulf
By organisation
Research environment Governance, Regulation, Internationalization and Performance (GRIPAvdelningen för arbetslivForskningsmiljön Arbete i skolan (AiS)Research Platform for Collaboration for HealthForskningsmiljön Människa - Hälsa - Samhälle (MHS)
Social Sciences

Search outside of DiVA

GoogleGoogle Scholar
Total: 209 downloads
The number of downloads is the sum of all downloads of full texts. It may include eg previous versions that are now no longer available

doi
urn-nbn

Altmetric score

doi
urn-nbn
Total: 750 hits
CiteExportLink to record
Permanent link

Direct link
Cite
Citation style
  • apa
  • ieee
  • modern-language-association-8th-edition
  • vancouver
  • Other style
More styles
Language
  • de-DE
  • en-GB
  • en-US
  • fi-FI
  • nn-NO
  • nn-NB
  • sv-SE
  • Other locale
More languages
Output format
  • html
  • text
  • asciidoc
  • rtf