An inquiry into the theoretical dispositions of educational leaders.

Abstract

Educational policy and practice in this country and around the world sees those in formal positions of leadership as central figures in the reform of schooling. Given the central role that these persons play in that reform, and given the nature of the challenges that they face, educational leaders will need to develop new and innovative theoretical perspectives for viewing and understanding organizations. At this time, however, most theories of organization and leadership are limited due to their emphasis on the perspectives of white males. This study attempts to gain a theoretical picture of organizational leadership from the perspective of persons of color. Eight minority students from graduate programs in educational administration in the Tucson, Arizona, and Tacoma, Washington areas were interviewed with the purpose of capturing a sense of organizational theory from the perspectives of educational leaders of color. Drawing on the organizational frame research of Bolman and Deal (1984, 1991a, 1992a), the dispositions of leaders of color toward four traditional organizational theories were examined. Then, examination into their views of organization was extended to gain an idea of some of the issues that comprise the specific realities of organization for educational leaders of color. The findings from this study suggest that educational leaders of color have both a unique and powerful perspective to offer scholars and practitioners interested in a greater understanding of organization and leadership. The findings may also have implications for the research into organization theory, as well as for the design and direction of university educational administration programs.