Bennett article reading 2 504 organisational theory ...

An organisation, such as a school, is a system in that:

• it's orientated towards the attainment of specific goals
• participants share a common interest in the survival of the system (organisation)
• engage in collective activities
• is strongly influenced by its environment
• the participants (members) are the system (system)
• the process of educational activity is one of "adding value" to students
• it has a defined purpose, task and technologies that may be influenced or even defined by outside conditions (organisations are effected by societal institutions and norms)

Organisations:

• have members
• have purpose
• acquire and retain resources
• have tasks to fulfil their purpose
• have accountability to someone
• are dynamic

The structure of an organisation:

• implies that tasks and responsibilities are allocated to best meet the overall system purpose
• physical workplace structures (classroom, school design, arrangement)
• work group structures (faculties, departments, year levels, mixed ability classes)
• task structures (job descriptions & procedures)
• is effected by external structures - (OHS legal requirements)
• is effected by social norms and expectations (e.g. what a school/class should look like

The culture of an organisation:

• is the concept of what the organisation is about - its mission
• is about the norms of 'how we do things and expectations 'how we should do things'
• includes what the members believe about their work
• defines an organisation as distinctive from other organisations
• often rests upon wider norms and expectations 'how school do and should do things'

Within organisations there is also power in play that can be both negative or positive: this can relate to physical resources, economic, knowledge.

Structure and culture impact the relationship between members of an organisation.

Power is exercised in exchanges between organisation members. The structures and culture of the organisation define the legitimacy of this exercise of power. Illegitimate use of power may lead to mere compliance rather than commitment. This highlights the importance of power being used in organised legitimately in order to create staff commitment to actions.

"A successful school improvement intervention will generate staff commitment to actions that are designed to promote greater effectiveness." (Bennett, 2001: p. 120). This is important to remember when thinking about leadership in schools.

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Cultural reform in schools is generated from the school's defined vision with sustainable, distributed leadership that emphasizes an open system of organisation. Bennett (2001) and Fink & Hargraves (2003) identify the importance of the process in determining sustainable continuous leadership. The collective leadership of all staff creates an interdependence that requires commitment and communication. Sustainable management is about collaboration and creating an open style of communication - it's about commitment to relationships that are central to the vision - student learning.

Bennett (2001: 100) identifies the elements of organisational systems that are necessary in education management, as established in policies and procedures are essential to elements of 'quality control', although they too remain dynamic to evolve with change.

Overcoming institutionalised practices is a challenge when creating dynamic change. But first one must understand and address the structures, cultures and powers that exist within the educational setting. Bennett (2001: 120) states "... successful school improvement intervention will generate staff commitment to actions that are designed to promote greater effectiveness ... [and] ... identify action points in both structural and cultural terms that will make movement possible."

"Successful leadership is sustainable leadership" (Hargraves & Fink, 2003: 700).

Bennett, N. (2001). Power, structure and culture: an organisational review of school effectiveness and school improvement. In Harris & Bennett (eds), School effectiveness and school improvement: alternative perspectives, (pp. 98-122). London: Continuum.