Working against Ourselves: Decision Making in a Small Rural School District

Autor/inn/en	Patterson, Jean A.; Koenigs, Andrew; Mohn, Gordon; Rasmussen, Cheryl
Titel	Working against Ourselves: Decision Making in a Small Rural School District
Quelle	In: Journal of Educational Administration, 44 (2006) 2, S.142-158 (17 Seiten) PDF als Volltext Verfügbarkeit
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	0957-8234
DOI	10.1108/09578230610652033
Schlagwörter	Rural Schools; School Districts; Boards of Education; Superintendents; Resource Allocation; Decision Making; Retrenchment; Educational Administration; Leadership; Case Studies; Resistance to Change; Leadership Styles; Trust (Psychology) + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Rural area; Rural areas; School; Schools; Ländlicher Raum; Schule; Schulen; School district; Schulbezirk; Ausschuss; Schulrat; Ressourcenallokation; Decision-making; Entscheidungsfindung; Bildungsverwaltung; Schuladministration; Schulverwaltung; Führung; Führungsposition; Case study; Fallstudie; Case Study; Führungsstil
Abstract	Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to examine decision making and resource allocation in a small, rural district in a Midwestern state of the USA during a time of economic retrenchment. Design/methodology/approach: Qualitative case study methods were used, including focus groups and personal interviews with current and former district administrators, Board of Education members, teachers, parents, and other members of the communities the district serves. Organizational archetypes were used as an analytic framework to reveal the deeper cultural values and preferences influencing board and superintendent decisions. Findings: Underlying historical patterns of decision making were found that were not aligned with constituents' preferences. District leaders refused to consider information that did not fit with their own beliefs and a crisis of leadership occurred, which resulted in the ousting of the superintendent and a majority of school board members. These patterns of decision making furthermore advantaged one group of constituents and disadvantaged another. Originality/value: This study illustrates the potential of archetypes as an analytic framework for understanding organizational decision making. Revealing tacit patterns of decision making can help organizations recognize and change patterns that are dysfunctional and have negative outcomes. (As Provided).
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Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2017/4/10