Principals speaking: managerialism and leadership in further education

Abstract

The management of further education colleges during the post incorporation period has been characterised by some as ‘managerialist’. The latter has been variously defined but essentially describes a developing gulf between lecturers and senior managers, due to the perceived emergence of a climate where it is argued educational values have been sacrificed to rationalist forms of planning aimed at maximising income and output. This article reports on interviews with eight principals, arguing that their perception of their values and practice are a contribution to the debate on the nature of managerialism and whether there has been a fundamental shift in values. The article concludes that though there is evidence both supporting and contradicting the practices highlighted as managerialist in the literature, the assumption that these point to a change in values amongst senior managers can be challenged.