The Ways School Headteachers/Principals in England at Different Stages of Adult Ego Development Work with Organisational Complexity
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| Title: | The Ways School Headteachers/Principals in England at Different Stages of Adult Ego Development Work with Organisational Complexity |
|---|---|
| Language: | English |
| Authors: | Neil Gilbride (ORCID |
| Source: | Educational Management Administration & Leadership. 2025 53(2):398-418. |
| Availability: | SAGE Publications. 2455 Teller Road, Thousand Oaks, CA 91320. Tel: 800-818-7243; Tel: 805-499-9774; Fax: 800-583-2665; e-mail: journals@sagepub.com; Web site: https://sagepub.com |
| Peer Reviewed: | Y |
| Page Count: | 21 |
| Publication Date: | 2025 |
| Document Type: | Journal Articles Reports - Research |
| Descriptors: | Foreign Countries, Principals, Individual Development, Self Concept, Developmental Stages, Personality Development, Projective Measures, Self Concept Measures, School Administration, Problem Solving, Leadership Styles, Personality Traits, Administrator Characteristics, Institutional Environment, Organizational Climate, Organizational Culture |
| Geographic Terms: | United Kingdom (England) |
| Assessment and Survey Identifiers: | Washington University Sentence Completion Test |
| DOI: | 10.1177/17411432231170581 |
| ISSN: | 1741-1432 1741-1440 |
| Abstract: | In this article, we analyse the ways school headteachers/principals (HT/Ps) at different stages of adult ego development (AED) make sense of and respond to the organisational complexity of their schools. The AED stage of 20 HT/Ps in England was assessed using the Washington University Sentence Completion Test. HT/Ps in the self-aware, conscientious and individualist AED stage were identified. The research used a critical incident technique to analyse how principals made sense of and responded to the complexity of their organisations. Those HT/Ps in the self-aware, conscientious and individualist stages differed in the way they acknowledged complexity, their capacity to recognise and accept ambiguity and unpredictability; and the way they acknowledged emergence in resolving wicked problems. Importantly, the way these differences were different in individuals in the self-aware, conscientious and individualist stages showed a clear development trend with an increasing acknowledgement of complexity; a growing tolerance of ambiguity and unpredictability; and an increasing acknowledgement of emergence in complex contexts. The findings have implications for the way the role of HT/P is viewed and developed in actual and potential HT/Ps. One important implication is that the stage of HT/Ps' AED is likely to impact on their overall effectiveness in their role. |
| Abstractor: | As Provided |
| Entry Date: | 2025 |
| Accession Number: | EJ1466562 |
| Database: | ERIC |
| Abstract: | In this article, we analyse the ways school headteachers/principals (HT/Ps) at different stages of adult ego development (AED) make sense of and respond to the organisational complexity of their schools. The AED stage of 20 HT/Ps in England was assessed using the Washington University Sentence Completion Test. HT/Ps in the self-aware, conscientious and individualist AED stage were identified. The research used a critical incident technique to analyse how principals made sense of and responded to the complexity of their organisations. Those HT/Ps in the self-aware, conscientious and individualist stages differed in the way they acknowledged complexity, their capacity to recognise and accept ambiguity and unpredictability; and the way they acknowledged emergence in resolving wicked problems. Importantly, the way these differences were different in individuals in the self-aware, conscientious and individualist stages showed a clear development trend with an increasing acknowledgement of complexity; a growing tolerance of ambiguity and unpredictability; and an increasing acknowledgement of emergence in complex contexts. The findings have implications for the way the role of HT/P is viewed and developed in actual and potential HT/Ps. One important implication is that the stage of HT/Ps' AED is likely to impact on their overall effectiveness in their role. |
|---|---|
| ISSN: | 1741-1432 1741-1440 |
| DOI: | 10.1177/17411432231170581 |
