The question of aesthetics as a theoretical framework for thinking about modern leadership issues in educational settings is an emergent area of inquiry that is receiving considerable attention. There is a growing sense that the mechanistic approach to leadership, which has been widely encouraged over the last ten years, is sterile and that a more philosophical approach is now required. This approach is covered here, taking into account the importance of aesthetics on all aspects of the administrative and leadership world: the ways ideas and ideals are created, how their expression is conveyed, the impact they have on interpersonal relationships and the organisational environment that carries and reinforces them and the moral boundaries or limits that can be established or exceeded. While presenting a significant departure from conventional studies in the field, the international contributors reflect a continuity of thought on administrative and leadership authority, from the writings of Plato through to current theory.

The question of aesthetics as a theoretical framework for thinking about modern leadership issues in educational settings is an emergent area of inquiry that is receiving considerable attention. There is a growing sense that the mechanistic approach to leadership, which has been widely encouraged over the last ten years, is sterile and that a more philosophical approach is now required. This approach is covered here, taking into account the importance of aesthetics on all aspects of the administrative and leadership world: the ways ideas and ideals are created, how their expression is conveyed, the impact they have on interpersonal relationships and the organisational environment that carries and reinforces them and the moral boundaries or limits that can be established or exceeded. While presenting a significant departure from conventional studies in the field, the international contributors reflect a continuity of thought on administrative and leadership authority, from the writings of Plato through to current theory.

Emotional Dimensions of Educational Administration and Leadership explores foundational theories for emotional dimensions of educational administration and leadership as they influence our understanding, analysis and practice in the field. It covers a broad range of topics, such as ethics, authority, personality, social justice, gender discrimination, organisational culture, decision-making, accountability and marketisation. The first section, ‘Theoretical Foundations’, includes discussion of the early modern romantic philosophy that produced the heroic notion of leadership, the idealist philosophy of Hegel, existential concerns through Kierkegaard, the contributions of psychoanalysis, and Habermasian critical theory. The second section, ‘Types of Emotional Analysis’, includes examinations of the material culture, emotional economies, the politics of emotion, and the relationship between emotion and rationality. The last section, 'Critical and Contemporary Issues', includes critiques of the fear arising from accountability regimes, the political economy of the market model, a feminist critique of ideologies reflecting emotional investments, narrative expressions for the emotional context of teamwork, the problem of narcissism, and the emotional dimensions of role engagement. This volume explores an area that is only just re-emergent in the last few years. The collection demonstrates the relevance to practical issues and problems internationally, both within the organisational context and extra-organisationally with a focus on the application of emotional factors as they affect our understanding of, and practice in, educational organisations. The emotions of education affect the implementation of political values and culture within organisations.

Bridging the gap between academic parlance and arts-based inquiry, this unique text presents a socio-affective exploration of educational leadership. The text challenges inherited ideological and normative assumptions and invites its reader to reimagine leadership as a dynamic, emotional, and relational process. Exploring the Affective Dimensions of Educational Leadership combines the ambiguity of arts-based work with the interpretative power of psychoanalysis to illustrate the role of mutuality, personal interpretations, and formative relations on leadership practices. By emphasizing leadership as the constant striving for recognition, the chapters expose the affective dimensions that infuse educational leadership practice and in doing so, propose a new way for educational leaders to respond to complex and emotionally charged incidents in school contexts, thereby promoting democratic practice and positive collegial relations. An engaging and insightful text, this book will be of great interest to graduate and postgraduate students, researchers, academics, and professionals in the fields of educational leadership, educational research, and psychoanalysis.

This book examines the theoretical foundations relevant to existential issues in educational leadership and management, taking inspiration from Munch’s painting The Scream. The book considers internationally relevant topics such as the growth of neoliberalism, globalisation, cultural shifts, forced migration and the digitalisation of the socio-cultural sphere and uniquely positions these crises as existential threats, rather than simply political, cultural, or social. The volume explores this complex set of dimensions in existential experience and outlines the implications for research and teaching in educational leadership. By exemplifying the narrative and introspective nature of existential research, the book addresses major aspects of the field including the impact such threats have on organisational studies, policy, administrative structures and practices, and leadership. This timely collection on existential issues in administration and leadership will appeal to academics, scholars, researchers, practitioners and policy-makers. It will also be of great interest for students in teacher education programmes and graduate courses in educational administration and leadership, organisation studies, and educational ethics for broad international use.

This collection explores the political philosophy and theory foundations for educational administration and leadership as they influence our understanding, analysis and practice in the field. The first section, "Political Philosophy: The Foundations," discusses the work of such writers as Machiavelli, Kant and Hegel, Hayek, Habermas, and Bourdieu as their theories apply to the educational context. The second section, "Political Analysis: The Critique," examines various types of political analyses, such as the politics of the policy process, minority politics, civil society, micro-politics, community politics, and cosmopolitan theory. The last section, "Current Political Controversies: The Practice," addresses current topical issues of a political nature, including the serving of the state economic agenda, the democratisation of educational organisations, the neo-conservative agenda, and globalisation. The broad international perspective from which these topics are covered makes this volume an excellent addition to the fields of educational leadership, organizational studies, and educational administration theory.

This collection explores critical and foundational theory for trust in educational administration and leadership as it influences a broad range of topics, such as ethics, governance, diversity, policy, management, and power. It demonstrates the relevance of this foundation to practical issues and problems internationally, both within the organizational context and extra-organizationally. Contributors from throughout the world focus on the application of trust factors as they affect our understanding of, and practice in, educational organizations. This volume will be of interest to students and faculty of educational administration theory, the policy and politics of education, and educational leadership as well as practitioners and policy makers.