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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 0000-0002-7612-1402), Chris James (ORCID 0000-0002-3067-0318), Sam Carr
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
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  Data: The Ways School Headteachers/Principals in England at Different Stages of Adult Ego Development Work with Organisational Complexity
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Neil+Gilbride%22">Neil Gilbride</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7612-1402">0000-0002-7612-1402</externalLink>)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Chris+James%22">Chris James</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3067-0318">0000-0002-3067-0318</externalLink>)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Sam+Carr%22">Sam Carr</searchLink>
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="SO" term="%22Educational+Management+Administration+%26+Leadership%22"><i>Educational Management Administration & Leadership</i></searchLink>. 2025 53(2):398-418.
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  Data: 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
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  Data: 21
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Foreign+Countries%22">Foreign Countries</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Principals%22">Principals</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Individual+Development%22">Individual Development</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Self+Concept%22">Self Concept</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Developmental+Stages%22">Developmental Stages</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Personality+Development%22">Personality Development</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Projective+Measures%22">Projective Measures</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Self+Concept+Measures%22">Self Concept Measures</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22School+Administration%22">School Administration</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Problem+Solving%22">Problem Solving</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Leadership+Styles%22">Leadership Styles</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Personality+Traits%22">Personality Traits</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Administrator+Characteristics%22">Administrator Characteristics</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Institutional+Environment%22">Institutional Environment</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Organizational+Climate%22">Organizational Climate</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Organizational+Culture%22">Organizational Culture</searchLink>
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22United+Kingdom+%28England%29%22">United Kingdom (England)</searchLink>
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  Data: 10.1177/17411432231170581
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  Data: 1741-1432<br />1741-1440
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  Label: Abstract
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  Data: 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.
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  Data: 2025
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  Data: EJ1466562
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        Value: 10.1177/17411432231170581
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      – Text: English
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        StartPage: 398
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      – SubjectFull: Foreign Countries
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Principals
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      – SubjectFull: Individual Development
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      – SubjectFull: Self Concept
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      – SubjectFull: Developmental Stages
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      – SubjectFull: Personality Development
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      – SubjectFull: Projective Measures
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      – SubjectFull: Self Concept Measures
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      – SubjectFull: School Administration
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      – SubjectFull: Problem Solving
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      – SubjectFull: Leadership Styles
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      – SubjectFull: Personality Traits
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      – SubjectFull: Administrator Characteristics
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      – SubjectFull: Organizational Climate
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      – SubjectFull: United Kingdom (England)
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      – SubjectFull: Washington University Sentence Completion Test
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      – TitleFull: The Ways School Headteachers/Principals in England at Different Stages of Adult Ego Development Work with Organisational Complexity
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