In the UK and elsewhere, the idea of "distributing leadership" in universities is becoming more popular. Yet, there is surprisingly little research on this topic. This paper reports on a funded study which explored how one institution had implemented a newly conceived "distributed" leadership model, specifically to investigate…

This paper reports on part of an on-going interview-based study of the eight permanent secretaries who served at the Department for Education from 1976 to 2012. Following a discussion of the relevance of biography to the study of public sector administrators, it presents a portrait of Sir Tim Lankester. Based on his own account and that of…

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to explore the beliefs held by managers about their roles as facilitators of learning with their employees in a public utilities organisation. Design/methodology/approach: The research was based on Ellinger and Bostrom's (2002) study on managers' beliefs on their role as facilitators of learning in…

This article reports on the preliminary findings from a national UK study of the life histories of 28 Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) educators who led schools across a 47-year period (1968-2015). BAME head teachers were grouped by generations (i.e. pioneer, experienced, and novice) and questioned about the critical life experiences that…

This article is based on an interview conducted with Mark Olssen in October 2014, and the subsequent discussions. These conversations invited Olssen to reflect on his experiences of neoliberalism as a practising academic who has worked in the UK for some 14 years, and also to comment as a researcher and writer who is well known for his work on…

This article presents a review of current leadership practices of principals in further education colleges and suggests that principalship is more than a two-dimensional functional model comprising internal or externally focused activities. During the past 20 years further education leadership has become more demanding, with greater accountability…

There are in excess of 5000 English-medium international schools worldwide. This article reports a study of the governing of such schools that explored in particular the implications of ownership and profit motive. The research entailed a questionnaire-based survey of international school head teachers and interviews with representatives of…

Purpose: This article aims to show how in times of austerity when formal HRD activity is curtailed and yet the need for learning is greatest, non-formal learning methods such as workplace involvement and participation initiated by line managers can compensate by enabling the required learning and change. Design/methodology/approach: A qualitative…

This article offers insights into the leadership enactment of primary school heads in terms of the dramatis personae or "masks of the drama" they perceive themselves to portray during interactions with staff in their schools. The article draws on the reported identities and performances of ten heads in their day-to-day leadership of…

Background: Despite considerable investment in UK government initiatives (e.g., the Physical Education School Sport [PESS] plan) aimed at improving the delivery and quality of physical education (PE) in primary schools, many remaining problems have been highlighted (e.g., facilities; staff training). It is suggested that the head teacher (school…

With the global increase in networked forms of organizations come new challenges for the conceptualization and practice of management and leadership. Universities have a networked organizational form being composed internally of multiple groups with both complementary and conflicting characteristics and expectations, and interfacing externally…

This paper addresses the nature of governors in the governance of further education colleges in an English context. It explores the complex relationship between governors (people/agency), government (policy/structure) and governance (practice), in a college environment. While recent research has focused on the governance of schooling and higher…

This article presents research undertaken with male headteachers in early years schools within the UK and explores several influential discourses in relation to male headteachers' identities. The article discusses the ways in which different identities are constructed for headteachers by parents, governors and wider society, and also how a variety…

This article considers the problematic nature of primary headship. It reviews evidence of some of the most significant problems encountered by new and experienced heads derived from two sources: the UK dimension of a European questionnaire survey undertaken in the mid 1990s and more recent reports gained from interviews with serving school…

UK higher education is undergoing a period of significant change that generates a series of tensions and difficulties for universities and university leaders. This paper explores these tensions through analysis of findings from a study comprising 152 semi-structured face-to-face interviews in 12 UK universities. Building on from theories of…