Managers In Further Education Research Articles

Research on the Reformation Route and Mechanism of Further Education

With the rapid and continuous development of economy in China, the development of higher education is in explosion and in a rapid speed in a popular style. On the contrary, the scale of certificate education in further education declines and meets many problems. The urgent problem to solve now is how to standardize the development of higher further education, cohering to its essential attribute, and how to play its role in strengthen the country with human resource , which is beneficial to constructing a learning-oriented society. From the writer’s point of view, only by strategic management of further education and promoting management on education quality, can we meet the requirements by the Party Central Community?

Metaphors of Faith and Routine Resistance: First Tier Managers in Further Education

Drawing on a study of First Tier Managers (FTMs) in further education colleges, this paper presents a typology of the role based upon metaphors of faith. The study found that faith in their work and in the transformational potential of education was an essential element of FTMs’ motivation, hardiness and coping strategies and positioned each manager as fundamentalist, priest, convert or martyr. The paper argues that faith is also an important antecedent of organisational resistance and that the types of workplace resistance enacted are determined by the metaphorical faith positioning of each manager. It concludes that, while faith is an essential part of employee motivation, it also fuels the likelihood of resistance when that faith is challenged.

Managers’ understandings of supporting teachers with specific learning disabilities: macro and micro understandings in the English Further Education sector

The article explores the professionalism and the standards debate as it relates to teachers with specific learning difficulties in the context of Further Education in England. There is a tension between the government’s policy of defining teachers more tightly in terms of entry qualifications and standards whilst espousing a policy of creating a more inclusive profession as promoted by the Equalities and Disability Discrimination legislation. How prepared are leaders and managers in Further Education to address this policy tension and what insights might be drawn from the Further Education context? Interviews with key leaders and managers in a Further Education college and the analysis of college policy documents are used to illuminate the issues surrounding the inclusion of teachers with specific learning difficulties. Suggestions are offered which may provide a way forward to address the policy tension.

I-deals in further education? A new approach to managerial job design

This paper discusses the neglected theme of job design in education. It argues that the traditional top-down method of designing work roles ignores the interests, abilities and needs of employees and leads to individuals adopting an unsanctioned approach to job design, ‘job crafting’. It is posited that a third approach is needed, that of ‘idiosyncratic deals' (or ‘i-deals'), which sees job design as a collaborative negotiation that has the potential to meet the needs of both organisation and employee. To ground this argument, the case of first-tier managers in further education (FE) is considered and a proposed framework of i-deals for this role is presented.

Fundamentalists, priests, martyrs and converts: a typology of first tier management in Further Education

This article presents findings from a study of first tier managers in English Further Education colleges, a role critically neglected within the literature, despite its centrality to organisational effectiveness and learner success. The role was found to be diverse, contested and elastic and while first tier managers were found to be highly autonomous, the research also documented the high levels of ‘home invasion’ of work as first tier managers attempted to meet the immediate gratification needs of senior managers, learners and lecturers. While most management typologies are founded upon a dialectic between organisation and staff, this research suggests that first tier managers operate within a trialectic of organisation, team and students. As such, a typology of first tier management is proposed based upon metaphors of faith which includes four categories: fundamentalists, priests, converts and martyrs, each exhibiting prioritisation within the trialectic and each faith‐orientation determining how the role is performed.

Transformational Leadership for the Effective Management of Further Education and Training Colleges in South Africa

Transformational Leadership for the Effective Management of Further Education and Training Colleges in South Africa

Gender and management in further education in Scotland: an agenda for research

Research on gender and education is somewhat limited in Scotland, and research that explores the further education sector from a gender perspective is particularly lacking. This paper argues for such work, and underlines its importance given the prominence of FE in the Scottish policy context as a key contributor to the knowledge economy and lifelong learning agendas of the Scottish parliament. The argument is also made that research on gender—including masculinities—may have particular salience in Scotland because of specific cultural assumptions and practices that inhibit the recognition of women in management. The paper reports on a small pilot study of senior women managers in the further education sector in Scotland, and draws on their experiences to advocate further research that is attentive to the gendered nature of organizations and the interrelationship of masculinities and managerialism.

Responding to change: the management of further education colleges in England

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine changes in the management of further education (FE) colleges in England following the Further and Higher Education Act (1992) and the removal of colleges from Local Education Authority control. These changes are mapped against developments in the management of public service organisations, more generally, labelled new public management (NPM), and the adoption of “business‐like” tools to support management responses to a new environment for colleges.Design/methodology/approachThe paper draws upon a national survey of general FE colleges and four case studies, researched in depth through semi‐structured interviews and analysis of relevant documents. The research was carried out between 1997 and 2000. The case studies were revisited through recent Inspection reports.FindingsThe paper finds that colleges reacted differently to the imperatives of change and that the extent to which the prescriptions of NPM were acted out depended upon a range of factors that were not included in many configurations of NPM.Research limitations/implicationsThe research was carried out in the 1990s and the original cases were revisited through Inspection reports post 2002. The inspectors had a different agenda than the original researchers and care needs to be taken in utilising the Inspectors' reports.Practical implicationsThe implementation of a uniform public policy across a diverse and complex sector is not guaranteed to succeed. Policy‐makers need to be aware of the “one‐size‐fits‐all” tendency of public policy making.Originality/valueThe management of the FE sector is under researched. This paper researches key issues for practitioners following on from education reform and provides empirical evidence for academics of the extent to which NPM reforms take hold on the ground.

Towards a leadership model for the effective management of Further Education and Training colleges

This article focuses on the need for a leadership model for the effective management of Further Education and Training (FET) colleges in the Gauteng Province. The research was motivated by the call for sound leadership in FET colleges that are grappling with the challenges of merging. A literature study showed that the study of leadership is interdisciplinary, covering a vast terrain, which encompasses the political, corporate, educational and human service domains. In 1994 the South African government inherited a fragmented, segregated and bureaucratic education system providing poor quality education. The necessary reform of the FET sector has placed enormous pressure on FET college leadership. A qualitative approach was used for this study to provide explanations for a need for effective leadership models for FET colleges. A case study of a newly merged college was chosen by purposeful sampling, and data collected by means of document analysis, individual interviews and observation. The research concludes with recommendations and a proposed leadership model for effective management of FET colleges.

The New Public Management of Scottish Further Education, 1979-2004

This article reviews developments in the management of further education in Scotland over a 25-year period as a case study of the implementation of New Public Management Scottish further education policy in the period from 1979 represents a clear example of change being externally imposed on the further education system. Barrett and Fudge (1981) argue that the policy-action relationship needs to be regarded as a process of interaction and negotiation, taking place over time, between those seeking to put policy into effect and those upon whom action depends. The system of further education in Scotland presents an opportunity to examine the interface between policy and its implementation. Public policy initiatives invariably imply change through the manipulation of a large-scale system making use of variables such as changes in legislative provision, changes in funding patterns and changes in organisation structures. This study of policy implementation in Scottish further education demonstrates all three-system variables. The Further and Higher Education (Scotland) Act 1992 changed the legislative provisions governing further education. Funding moved from being a local authority responsibility to direct funding initially from the Scottish Office and, since 1999, from the Scottish Further Education Funding Council. Organisation structures also changed from further education being a sub-division of the education service

Black Managers in Further Education

This article reports on an exploratory study of black managers in Further Education colleges and records their individual views and experiences. The premise of this article is that, contrary to rhetoric about equal opportunities, black managers are experiencing barriers in progressing their careers. With examples from participants on a postgraduate programme in management, the article explores their experiences and perceptions and illustrates the various forms these barriers can take. The study follows seven black managers and their career aspirations over an 18-month period. The article suggests that black managers face additional constraints to progressing their careers and this has implications for organizations, and, in particular, how they encourage and maintain a diverse workforce.

Is the Freedom of Information Act driving records management in further education colleges?

This article presents key findings from a JISC‐funded research project “Developing records management in further education: responding to the requirements of the Freedom of Information Act 2000”, considering issues raised in a study of 15 colleges in northern England in 2003. It highlights difficulties of raising awareness of records management in this context; the value of the “Model action plan for achieving compliance with the Lord Chancellor’s Code of Practice on the management of records in higher and further education institutions”; and barriers to be overcome in institutions where the appointment of a professional records manager is not a possibility. It considers whether preparations for FoI have had an impact on records management in this sector, and whether this is likely to continue or increase in future, after the Act comes into force in England, Wales and Northern Ireland in January 2005.

Aspects of Public Sector Management: A Case Study of Further Education, Ten Years from the Passage of the Further and Higher Education Act

This article examines management in further education a decade after thepassage of legislation removing colleges from local council control. The research analysed two areas of public sector managem...

Facilitating the role of middle managers in further education

This article presents work in progress investigating a range of middle manager roles in further education colleges through perceptions of staff at three levels of hierarchy, to identify features of the ‘environment for management’ which facilitate and impede the middle managers in role. The research is being carried out at four colleges: this article offers preliminary results from one large multi-site college. The methodology comprises interviews with senior staff, focus group meetings with middle managers, questionnaire surveys of team members, observation of meetings and study of college documentation. Analysis to date indicates that the role is largely an intuitive one and that there is a difference in the transactional, transformational, supervisory and representative natures of the different roles. Facilitators include clarity of college systems, championing of the role by SMT and strong personal skills, impediments include lack of training, tension over the devolved nature of the role, and role overload.

Middle managers in Further Education: exploring the role

Middle managers in Further Education: exploring the role

Academic middle managers in further education: reflections on leadership

This study is based on an interview survey of 13 middle managers with curriculum responsibilities in further education colleges in the United Kingdom. It investigates factors affecting their effectiveness in role, and reflects upon the extent to which they are enabled to be leaders. There was evidence of delegated leadership and of inclusive leadership environments, both of which supported the manager in role. There were indications that the middle manager role crossed the managerial/professional divide, with managers showing market awareness, spending time setting targets and measuring against performance indicators, yet also providing academic leadership within their department. There was, however, evidence of a lack of role definition, which serves to undermine the autonomy and authority of managers working at this level. Further research is planned which will investigate the management structure and culture of sampled further education colleges, in order to identify features which facilitate or impede the middle manager role.

A review of educational partnership arrangements in further and higher education: pointers for managers in further education

Partnership arrangements involving further education colleges and higher education institutions have received varying amounts of attention, and it is clear that they represent a complex management challenge. When planning a partnership arrangement, it is important for senior managers in a college of further education to take into account the imperfections of the marketplace; government policy; the role that Local Education Authorities, local chambers and learning and skills councils play; the motives of senior managers employed by institutions of higher education; the benefits associated with formal partnership arrangements; and the importance of forming strategic alliances with educational institutions which have a similar or the same value system. In order to be successful, a partnership arrangement needs to be viewed from a relational stance, and managers need to be committed to building long-term working relationships which are based on trust, loyalty and mutuality.

Academic middle managers in Further Education

This is the first of a two-part article considering middle managers in Further Education.This part presents a literature review on middle management in schools and colleges, to be followed by a second part detailing a study into factors affecting the effectiveness in the role of middle managers in FE.

Managing Ambiguity: Between Markets and Managerialism — A Case Study of ‘Middle’ Managers in Further Education

Advocates of devolved and market oriented Education reform, point to the benefits from self determination which enhance both teacher and managerial autonomy. Critics refer, on the other hand, to the ways in which running education institutions on business and accounting principles have introduced a new managerialism (Clarke et al, 1994; Pollitt, 1990; Clarke and Newman, 1997), which has driven a wedge between lecturers and senior manager interests. In Further Education, according to Elliott (1996a), this finds expression in conflict between lecturers in defence of professional and pedagogic values, and senior managers promoting the managerial bottom line (Randle and Brady, 1994). The danger in polarising such interests in this way is that it presents a plausible, if not oversimplified, analysis of organisational behaviour as market forces permeate FE. If this paper concurs with many critics on the effects of the new managerialism, it departs company from a prevailing determinism which assumes an over controlled view of the FE workplace (Seddon and Brown, 1997). Despite evidence of widespread casualisation and depro-fessionalisation in FE, this paper examines changing managerial cultures in the FE workplace, in this case among academic ‘middle’ managers, which suggests that managerialism is not as complete or uncontested as is often portrayed. The paper draws on an ESRC research project conducted by the authors (ESRC no. R000236713), looking at Changing Teaching and Managerial Cultures in FE, at a time when the sector is emerging from a series of funding crises associated with redundancies, industrial action, mismanagement and low morale at college level.

Strategic Planning in Further Education

Since colleges were made responsible for strategic planning in 1993, managers in further education have encountered criticisms for not managing the process in a sufficiently business-like way and for being too business-driven in their approach. This article explores the experience of a group of principals who lead strategic planning, in the context of an analysis of a sample of strategic plans. It suggests planning takes place within a national strategic vacuum and that there is a diversity of types of plan and planning process. Plans based on achieving a competitive edge are in evidence, but so too are plans based on the need to build commitment in the face of severely constrained strategic choices, and driven by educational values. It is concluded that analysis and response to the planning of the sector should take better account of the diversity of purposes and practices within colleges.