1.4 Theories of educational management  (Page 5/29)

Formal Models

Formal model is an umbrella term used to embrace a number of similar but not identical approaches. The title“formal”is used because these theories emphasize the official and structural elements of organizations:

Formal models assume that organisations are hierarchical systems in which managers use rational means to pursueagreed goals. Heads possess authority legitimised by their formal positions within the organisation and are accountable to sponsoringbodies for the activities of their organisation (Bush, 2003, p. 37).

This model has seven major features:

1.They tend to treat organizations as systems. A system comprises elements that have clear organisational linkswith each other. Within schools, for example, departments and other sub-units are systemically related to each other and to theinstitution itself.

2.Formal models give prominence to the official structure of the organization. Formal structures are oftenrepresented by organization charts, which show the authorized pattern of relationships between members of the institution.

3.In formal models the official structures of the organization tend to be hierarchical. Teachers are responsibleto department chairs who, in turn, are answerable to principals for the activities of their departments. The hierarchy thus representsa means of control for leaders over their staff.

4.All formal approaches typify schools as goal-seeking organizations. The institution is thought to haveofficial purposes, which are accepted and pursued by members of the organization. Increasingly, goals are set within a broader visionof a preferred future for the school (Beare, Caldwell,&Millikan, 1989).

5.Formal models assume that managerial decisions are made through a rational process. Typically, all theoptions are considered and evaluated in terms of the goals of the organization. The most suitable alternative is then selected toenable those objectives to be pursued.

6.Formal approaches present the authority of leaders as a product of their official positions within theorganization. Principals”power is positional and is sustained only while they continue to hold their posts.

• In formal models there is an emphasis on the accountability of the organization to its sponsoring body. Most schools remainresponsible to the school district. In many centralised systems, school principals are accountable to national or state governments.In decentralised systems, principals are answerable to their governing boards.

(Adapted from Bush, 2003, p. 37-38).

These seven basic features are present to a greater or lesser degree in each of the individual theories, whichtogether comprise the formal models. These are:

• structural models;
• systems models;
• bureaucratic models;
• rational models;
• hierarchical models.

A full discussion of each of these sub-models appears in Bush (2003).

Managerial leadership

The type of leadership most closely associated with formal models is“managerial.”

Managerial leadership assumes that the focus of leaders ought to be on functions, tasks and behaviours and thatif these functions are carried out competently the work of others in the organisation will be facilitated. Most approaches tomanagerial leadership also assume that the behaviour of organisational members is largely rational. Authority and influenceare allocated to formal positions in proportion to the status of those positions in the organisational hierarchy. (Leithwood et al,1999, p. 14)