A Comparative Analysis of the Bureaucratic Structure Between Large and Small Secondary Schools
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Date
1994-07
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
The concept of bureaucracy, here, is viewed as a
means of organizing work which permits or encourages
coordination.
Coordination in turn is achieved in
hierarchy of graded authority regulated by rules and
depersonalizing mechanisms. As such bureaucracy is not
a bed of roses for individuals. It is rather a system of
administration which is destined to institutionalize work
In organizations.
Schools are the basic organizational units in the
educational institutionj they have the role of dividing
the work and integrating results.
Thus, schools are
becoming more bureaucratically structured.
It is
suggested that, the idea of bureaucratization of schools
confirmed, to a considerable degree, Weber's
specification of bureaucracy on the basis of their
division of labour, their hierarchical structures, their
rules and regulations, their procedures and their
impersonal treatment based on competence.
Hence, the
educational version of bureaucracy is seen as a set of
six-dimensions.
The study comparatively examines the basis of the
bureaucratic model, the dimensions of organizations that
are chartacterstically cited as bureaucratic attributes
by measuring the degree to which these dimensions are
present in the two sets of secondary school systems. It
is illustrated in the study that a bureaucratic structure
is not unitary variable but it is multidimensional and
prevalent among the selected twelve secondary schools.
The prevalence and emergence of these bureaucratic
dimensions are also proved to be that the schools are
bureaucratic in a large number of ways. Furthermore, it
is demonstrated that size is a determining factor which
influences the bureaucratic structures of secondary
schools. Thus, all the six-bureaucratic dimensions vary
in size.
Finally, the causes of disagreement (conflict) and
the consequent results that reduced teachers commitment
such as, seniority based promotions, lack of
reconciliation between the expectations of autonomy and
individual responsibility of highly trained professionals
with the hierarchy of authorities, are also examined.
Based on the previous comments and concluding remark in
the study, in the final chapter, the writer forwards some
realistic suggestion and recommendation that individual
teachers need a certain amount of autonomy if they are tocontribute meaningfully to the obj ecti ves of the schools.
Hence, school administrators should allow individual
teachers to have enough autonomy to enhance their
professional initiative and to encourage the development
of positive and fruitful relationships within the school
systems . Such necessary leadership styles may result
from the recognition of the professional status of
teachers and a substantial delegation of responsibility
in them, and not from polarization of teachers and
directors into 'superiors' and 'inferiors . '
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Keywords
A Comparartlve Analysis, of the Bureaucratic Structure