This book focuses on discourses of globalisation in comparative education research and the politics of education reforms. It analyses and evaluates the shifts in methodological approaches to globalisation and education reforms, as reflected in comparative education research and their impact on education policy and pedagogy. The book covers topics…

This article, which is set within the Maltese education scenario of unfolding decentralization through the setting-up of multi-site school collaboratives (legally termed "colleges") via a policy mandate, explores a particular aspect of this reform--that of "networking". This is examined in terms of the potential for…

The "hard" use of authority to produce change confronts obstacles that transcend administrative strategies. This article presents a conceptual analysis of authority and its constraints and shows how current conceptions of democracy, evaluation, and authority are interdependent. (CB)

A corporate leader argues that higher education leaders must be prepared to manage change, and suggests focusing on results, communicating straight and openly, and delegating responsibility. An institutionwide communication program and greater efficiency are key elements in management change. (MSE)

The interplay of power, political behavior, and ethics has been the subject of many books and articles about business organizations, but little has been published about using power and political skills in ethical ways to lead whole-system change in school districts. This book does. Readers will learn about the context for change in school…

Site-based management (SBM) is an increasingly popular approach to school restructuring. SBM aims to transfer authority from state agencies and school districts to committees based at schools. To garner a consensus supporting reform, these committees are to be representative of educational and community members. SBM plans are characterized by: (1)…

Changing student demographics, legislation improving standards and access, and increasing community expectations are creating instability in the nation's education system. Also, public confidence in schools' effectiveness has eroded. This treatise draws on sociology, corporate studies, and effective schools research to understand how education…

A national survey of Australian universities investigated the size and composition of their governing bodies, number of meetings held annually, and any anticipated changes in their membership or structure. Membership included ex-officio members, academic staff, general staff, students, parliamentarians, state government appointments, alumni, and…

Current college faculty discontent comes from "corporatization," the increasing subordination of traditional collegial governance arrangements to intrusive management procedures. Faculty believe college and university organization is rapidly evolving toward a hierarchical pyramid of control, centralized planning, and top-down decision making, and…

A study was done at the University of Colorado to determine the qualifications, priorities, behaviors, and authority base of effective curriculum directors in six Colorado school districts. The study employed both qualitative and quantitative research. The qualitative data were obtained by observing and interviewing the curriculum directors and by…

This article offers six principles of feminist thinking: (1) the power of naming; (2) invisibility of women's work; (3) circular progress; (4) what constitutes knowledge and knowing; (5) feminist values of equality, inclusion, and diffusion of power; and (6) the personal as political. The principles are applied to human resource management in…

Describes the different systems of formal governance in the U.K.'s old universities and in the public sector, the pressures on the system which led to the shift from elite to mass education, and consequent concerns about maintaining high academic standards while at the same time expanding access. Differences in management and governance between…

Analyzes the structure of academic sociology departments. Stresses the competition for resources and symbolic capital among different groups including faculty, support staff, research staff, graduate students, and undergraduate students. Focuses on the complex role of graduate students, the constraints, and the opportunities it opens. Urges reform…

Evolution of the relationship between academic and administrative functions in Swedish universities is traced over 30 years. Attention is given to a shift toward administrative power during a period of university democratization, and partial restoration of academic leadership in the 1990s. Two distinct patterns of administrative structure are…

Examines relationships which exist internationally between contexts, methods, and impact on institutions of external quality assessments in higher education. Argues that debates about quality assessment are frequently debates about power and change. Case studies of the University of Aalborg (Denmark), Uppsala University (Sweden), and Monash…