Making sense of complex relationships in the workplace: principals in action

Constantinides, M. (2023) Making sense of complex relationships in the workplace: principals in action. Cambridge Journal of Education, (doi: 10.1080/0305764X.2023.2191930) (Early Online Publication)

Abstract

This article presents findings of research focused on school improvement efforts in two secondary academy schools in England, examining how principals make sense of their role, their (inter)actions within their schools, and the complexities of their relationships with their rapidly changing environment. Sensemaking serves as a foundation for thinking about leadership and organisational change, providing a framework for understanding how disruptions of existing practice, uncertainty and ambiguity lead school principals to rethink and reorganise how they perceive their role within their organisational context. Based on semi-structured interviews and document analyses, this article identifies how problem-solving capacities, trusting relationships and professional collaboration with an array of stakeholders encourage adaptation of organisational activities and support openness to change. The study contributes to the growing body of knowledge on how school leaders think and act in their roles and on how the focus on relationships transform and interact with existing norms and values.

• Item Type: Articles
• Status: Early Online Publication
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Constantinides, Dr Michalis
• Authors: Constantinides, M.
• College/School: College of Social Sciences > School of Education
• Journal Name: Cambridge Journal of Education
• Publisher: Taylor and Francis
• ISSN: 0305-764X
• ISSN (Online): 1469-3577
• Published Online: 11 April 2023
• Copyright Holders: Copyright © 2023 The Author
• First Published: First published in Cambridge Journal of Education 2023
• Publisher Policy: Reproduced under a Creative Commons License