Bringing out a new Publication — the role of a catalyst in the micropolitics of the management of institutional change in education

Abstract

This paper looks at the strategies that can be used by a low‐status member of an organisation to create temporary coalitions amongst other members so allowing the low‐status member to implement change according to his/her own agenda. It is argued that the coalitions are maintained by exchanges of differentiated tokens of support. It is observed that the process of change goes through some clearly demarcated phases and gateways which serve to legitimate the project being implemented. It is suggested that such a formally powerless implementer of change performs a role fundamentally distinct from that of the conventional change agent.