The hybrid professional: an examination of how educational leaders relate to, with and through managerialism

Abstract

This paper examines how one particular class of educational leader – international school Heads – relate to managerialism. Representing a novel site of new theorisation, the independence enjoyed by these leaders allows a ‘purer’ view of managerialism as experienced ‘in here’ (inside the subject), not just as a reaction to what is ‘out there’ (i.e. to policy). Through analysis of twenty-five face-to-face interviews, they were found to have relationships to managerialism that are not compliant or transgressive, educational or managerial, but hybridic. Some Heads relate to managerialism pragmatically; they reluctantly ‘do’ managerialism but avoid, segment and/or moderate managerial influences on their identities. Other Heads proactively use managerialism to discipline their staff and organisations; they draw power from managerial discourses; and they claim its values as their own. Seen through the lens of hybridity, educational identifications remain important, indeed they remain paramount, but for some subjects, they have been conjoined with complimentary managerial ones.

Keywords:

• Managerialism
• professionalism
• identity
• education
• hybrid
• hybridity

Notes

1. For the purposes here, taken to be schools declaring themselves as international, outside state control, offering an education wholly or partially in English and using a programme of study other than the country’s national curriculum.

2. It is evident that ‘being dad’ is associated with being a manager whereas being mum is associated, by implication, with something less managerial and more pastoral. These gender associations, although beyond the scope of this article, are obviously contentious (and are not shared by the author).