Superintendent–Business Executive Collaboration in Intermediary Organizations: Moral Agency and Democratic Functioning

Abstract

This case study describes collaboration between business executives and superintendents to influence local/regional K–12 educational change. Specifically, we examine participant like-mindedness about the ethics and appropriate focus of K–12 intermediary collaboration, the extent of democratic functioning, and key individuals to involve. Data sources consist of existing semistructured interviews with 6 superintendents and 28 business executives involved in intermediary organizations (i.e., chambers of commerce, business– education roundtables, educational nonprofits) within a metropolitan area of the U.S. Southwest. Furman's (2004) ethic of community frames the analysis. Participants narrate common moral purpose motivated by civic duty for the public good over profit-driven interests. Moreover, deficiencies in democratic collaborative processes formed divergent views on how this should be operationalized and thus caused some voices to be silenced. Superintendent inattention to democratic processes reinforced deficiencies despite the enabling potential of certain business executives.