Strategic Management in Education - Case Study Example

Running Head: STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT IN EDUCATION Strategic Management In Education Name Institution Date Strategic Management in Education Introduction Strategic management within institutions is a conduct that involves evaluation, drafting, implementation and making of decisions that are cross functional that will basically enables an organization to attain its long-term objectives. It entails the process of specification of an organizations missions and objectives. In addition the process also facilitates the development of plans and policies, frequently in terms of programs and projects. Strategic management can be highlighted as an activity within the level managerial activity under the framework of setting tactics and goals. The process offers an overall direction to the institution and is closely linked to studies on Organization .The overall goal of strategic management within institutions is to analyze the overall organizations performance and the progress towards the attainment of the organizations objectives. The process of strategic management in the developmental plan of the working scheme is essential in institutions such as St John Fisher Catholic High School. The presentation below highlights the significance of strategy and performance within an organization like a school. Strategic institutional a management also within the school framework also entails the evaluation of the theory of culture and collective enterprise (Van de Ven, 2000). School description The St John Fisher Catholic High is a comprehensive school that is over-subscribed and average –sized institution with a stale staff and pupil’s population. The pupils enrolled in the school come from diverse social economic backgrounds. In addition there is an increase in the student population of learners with disabilities or learning difficulty over the past three years. The number of pupils from ethnic background classified as the minority and those who speak English as a second language have additionally increased over the last two years. The institution has recently attained the status of specialist collage in humanities which has been a significant symbol of success for the school (Cameron & Freeman 1991). The process of strategic management in the development of a plan in the working scheme of this particular St John Fisher institution provides a rich diversity of angles for understanding the process of strategic management in institutions. One of the major factors in the analysis of this particular process in the aspect the processes of conception or the design school. According to this particular strategy institutions are prescribed or designed to deliberate the process of conscious thought. Therefore the responsibility for consciousness and control must rest upon the chief executive of the institution, who can be stated as the chief strategist (Donaldson 1996). When making an analysis of the working schema of The St John Fisher Catholic High, the aspect of having a chief executive, whose responsibility, is to control the process of deliberation of consciousness is evident in the institution. The Head master, who also is the chief strategist in the institution, is stated to have strong vision and leadership which is useful in leading the staff, parents and pupils. Through the chief executives guidance the school has been able to attain outstanding academic performance, the well being of learners improved and also personal and social development for the learners. The strategy system should thus be termed as a true design process, due to the attainment of the organizations objectives of improving lives and raising standard (Fernandez & Rainey 2006). The other fundamental aspect in the process of strategic management is the aspect of the positioning of the school. In relations to the aspect of school positioning, strategy systems should aim at locating the institution in an identifiable common positions. The market place position which basically implies a location that is competitive and economic this is in accordance to the business context. In the context of the school environment a suitable school environment is further contributed by the surrounding communality interaction with the school. In this particular process, analysts play as vital role in the planning and designing the schools strategic position. The main focus is basically to develop a well-built environment that is external to the school. The St John institution works toward community cohesion through getting involved in community service. The links between the school and is quite good especially with local schools and parishes. The visionary process of the strategy system also forms part of the strategic management process in institutions, also referred to as, Development of an Entrepreneurial school. The strategy of developing an entrepreneurial school involves developing a direction that is long term for the institution and vision for the future of the institution. The St John Fisher Catholic High institution has enforced visionary actions that have been enacted for the main function of enhancing the attainment of the organizations goals. The institution through the inspection process that was carried out in the school was a fundamental step of enhancing future visions for the institution. The outcome of the inspection indicated that although the institution has attained its objectives effectively there is need to improve standards through the establishment of utilization of ICT within the teaching curriculum, and monitoring the performance of boys a t the GCSE level. A leader with visionary attributes is therefore essential to facilitate the attainment of future objectives of an organization. The leader should ensure that the implementation process of future objectives of the institution is closely monitored. The commitment of the Head teacher of St Johns institution is effective management of the organization. The institution s working schema highlights that the head teacher has attributes of clear vision of the mission of the school and is fully committed to improving the standard of learning in the institution (Burns & Stalker 1961). The other strategy within the strategic management process in institutions involves the development of a cognitive school or also referred to as the Mental Process Strategy System. In relations to the cognitive school, with its major roots in psychology, the systems strategies are essentially based on building the cognitive process or domain of learners. Strategies therefore emerge in terms of inputs according to the goals of the organization. Different forms of cognition form a fundamental influence on the functioning of strategies of the organization. The curriculum is also a vital tool of promotion of cognitive development within an institution. The purpose of the curriculum in the St John Fisher Catholic College is to develop a balance in the lives of the learners this includes the promotion of the moral, physical cultural, spiritual and mental development. The curriculum should also prepare learners with opportunities, skill and responsibilities to face life after collage. Learning institutions should therefore aim at utilizing curriculums that are effective for the learning process. This further enhances effective strategic management. The St John institution as a Christian catholic institution aims at provision of religious education in addition to other core courses. The aspect of the integration of religious education fulfills the requirements of the curriculum directory and Bishops conference for religious education. The institutions religious education department discovered the religious education curriculum meet pupils needs. The curriculum adopted a module for social and religious issues. The curriculum in utilized in the sixth form has undergone a few changes through the integration of more social concepts. It is essential to take note of the fact that the integration of the religious education studies in the institution has facilitated development of learners both spiritually and morally (Glisson & Martin 1980). The beliefs and values of the church are effectively taught to the learners and these principles can be applied in to the lives of the learners in the contemporary society. The pupils have demonstrated the ability to effectively demonstrate their skills in light of discussing various moral issues that affect young people. In this particular discussion the pupils are able to show a sense of respect for the views that every individual has. For instance the programs on relationship between education and sex have helped in improving the understanding of learners concerning the issues. The implication of the utilization of religious education in the learning system is that disciplinary cases have declined and the curriculum of the school has also become extended meaning that it deals with a wide range of subjects, apart from the core subject. In addition all members of the community are valued and treated as equal irrespective of ones religious inclination. This particular attributes facilitate easy management of the organization. The other component of strategic management process in institutions involves the aspect of strategy systems as an emergent process. According to the recommended learning system or also the psychological roots, the notion of the strategic systems entails that the learning process should be described to be process that is undertaken over a particular time specification. Within this particular time specification, implementation and formulation of activities should be intertwined in order to attain proper coordination of school activities. According to this particular strategy the process of learning involves strategic planning of events in various patterns in order to guide the pattern of behavior during a particular year. The St Johns Institution has such as designed system in its management of activities, within a particular year (Weisman & Nathanson 1985). SEMESTER SHEDULE SAINT JOHN FISHER CATHOLIC COLLEGE School Terms and Holiday Dates 2009 / 2010 Autumn Term 2009: Staff: Monday 7 September – Friday 23 October (35 working days) Pupils: Wednesday 9 September – Friday 23 October (33 working days) Holiday: Monday 26 October – Friday 30 October 5 days Staff: Monday 2 November – Friday 18 December (35 working days) Pupils: Monday 2 November – Thursday 17 December (34 working days) The semester schedule highlighted above is a useful pattern of organization and performance of events for the institutions The school environment is also an essential aspect of the process of strategic management in institutions .The external context of the school environment presents as a general force in the strategy creation process. It is essential that for an enterprise or organization to respond effectively to the external environment, or otherwise it would be selected out. The St John Institution to enhance community cohesion. The school aims at interacting with the external environment .This is done through organizing charity works and demonstration of concern for the wider community. Analysis of the Theory culture and collective enterprise The notion of organizational culture can be described as the center of values that are shared among members of an organization. Nutt (1986), highlights that organizational culture should include the belief of an organizations purpose and how the organization aims at achieving this particular goals. The relationship that exists between the success of an organization and its culture has been widely debated. An analysis undertaken by Hambrick and Mason (1991), in finding the relationship between the effectiveness of an organization and its culture within institutions of learning indicated that diverse cultures are linked to different performance dimensions, for instance clan cultures are linked to increased staff morale. This implies that cultural boost to an organization results to the aspect of improving performance (Heracleous, 2003). The St Johns institution has a culture of collective worship which makes the practice of prayer a central aspect in the life of the institution. There is an effective sacramental provision in the institution and regular opportunities for the learners to attend mass. Senior staff members are also part of the prayer culture in the institution. This particular culture has for year’s enhanced unity in the institution and thus collective action in the implementation of the organizations objectives. In addition this particular culture facilitates the broad combination of the formal objectives in the organization and the need to maintain and build consensus in the institution. Therefore as culture and structure interact they enhance the strategy of performance and process (Nutt 1989). In the context of the cultural school, strategy systems are said to be a fundamental processes that enhance social interaction, based on the understanding and belief shared by members of one enterprise. One acquires this particular belief through the process of socialization and acculturation, which is mainly nonverbal and tactical although sometimes it is reinforced by indoctrination that is sometimes informal. The members of an institution can, as a result, only partially illustrate the beliefs that strengthen their culture, in despite the fact that the explanations and origins may remain obscure. Consequently the strategy receives the shape of perspective above all. Strategy is thus the best described as deliberate performed in a fully conscious manner. Ideology and especially culture do not promote strategic change, as compared to existing strategy perpetuation. Improving of the linkage between strategy and Action It is vital to evaluate the relationship that exists between strategy and performance in the schema of this particular institution The notion of implementation through linkage of strategy and performance is one fundamental factor that may affect the style of implementation of on an organizations strategic stance. It is vital to take note of the fact that process and strategy is linked to the main objective of better performance Various studies have attempted to categorize different implementation approaches of linking strategy and action. One factor that may arbitrate the implementation of action and strategy is the institutions strategic stance. The assumption that an organization should take up inner characteristics in order to give a reflection of their strategies has exhibited a vulnerable position in management literature, and investigations on organizations that are privately owned support this particular argument, that a fit between process and strategy is linked to enhancing better performance. Many organizations tend to initiate new developmental services in order to improve their performance (Miller 1986). The St John school has strategically formulated the improvement priorities for the year 2008-2011. This is basically a three year plan that indicated the priorities that are supposed to be attained within this particular time scale. The intended priorities include; Improvement Plan for the St John Catholic School 2008 – 2011 PRIORITY MAIN ACTION INTENDED OUTCOME TIMESCALE Additional implementation of the dimension of a specialist school of the Humanities department with an identity that is distinctively catholic Implement fully a KS3 that is shortened Creation of a range of curriculum options that will be available for pupils at the Ks4 level and above. Relevant individuals and departments should device a well detailed program that will enhance the provision of the identified special program. Increased discussions at the departmental level and development of plans at to implement the shortened KS3 and the early GCSE for identified groups and individuals. Development of booster sessions for a group that may be at risk Action plans at the departmental level Involve targets for intervention and monitoring groups and individuals within the setting of the curricular target. Each staff member to utilize the data found in the assessment manager to formulate targets Increase planning for further developments. Involving parents in the EAL Provisions Provision of training of the value issues to at least some community members or the local business Every staff member should be able to effectively interpret data and appropriately plan for the teaching strategies in order to increase the achievement for every pupil especially those under the risk of underperformance The school should be confident concerning the quality of courses it provides to its learners. St John Fisher pupils will be able to get the Full range of KS4 curriculum that is provided in the district. The staff in St John Fisher will be active in diploma Sep 2008- Dec-2009 Begin Sept 2007 and becoming more refined. Clear confirmation of emerging within Departments - summer 2008. Beginning 2007. In place September 2008. Monitoring ongoing. September 2009 Sept 2010 onwards As indicated in the table above, the strategic plan of the institution of linking the aspects of action and strategy can be linked to the improvement plan which is categorically devised with a time limit for attaining the specified goals. Donaldson 1996, highlight that strategies are categorized in accordance to a small amount of ideas and should therefore be linked to the internal process in the organization. This particular type of conceptualization results the organizational responding to trends in the environment that tend to emerge. For instance the St John institutional plans of devising shorter courses for the pupils such as the KS3 is aimed at dealing with the transitional changes in the time span of taking certain courses. In order to effectively improve the linkage between strategy and action it is vital for the institution to fully implement the specified strategic goals as indicated in the schools plan. It can therefore be stated that through development of a new brand of services, the organization is able to improve the aspect of strategy and action. Miles and Snow (1978) argue that organizations do not only face ‘entrepreneurial’ problem but also the problem of which type of strategy to adopt. They further state that administrative problems are also a consist problem in organizations. They argue that lagging leadership in organizations also pose a great challenge in the implementation of strategy and action. In is therefore essential that transitional changes be made in leadership or a leader with clear and precise vision and conduct to govern the organization (Daft & Lane 2009). Therefore, overtime, structure, strategy, and process should reinforce each other: organizations Should elect a system of administration that is consistent with their strategy, as a result they will find out that this particular system goes on to lead them in a similar strategic direction. The resulting out come is that the mutual cause cycle and effect will tightens the relationship connecting a strategic stance and a laid down of organizational characteristics. One of the relationships between strategy and performance can be executed through the breakdown of work within the management system. The St John Fisher Catholic High management and leadership are guided by strong vision that is Head teacher and a well equipped staff, parents and pupils (Ansoff 1991). The management and leadership of the institution has some notable outstanding features that which outline the breakdown of tasks for effective management of the organization. Working as a team is a major characteristic of the senior leaders. One of the fundamental strengths linked to running of the organization is linked to the manner in which the governors and the senior staff keep perform very close evaluation of the work being performed in the school. Middle leaders in the institution have grate commitments in terms of facilitating that the pupil’s performance is up to standard. In addition a clear management system has been enforced for the basic purpose of ensuring that intervention and support is provided to every pupil. Effective monitoring and elevation is enforced including rigorous evaluation of attendance, progress and attainment towards the organizations targets. The governors of the school hold the senior management accountable for the institution however this is performed in a collective manner. The extent to which the management of an organization is organized under a bureaucratic structure that is highly formal has been a debated widely. The formalization is of the duties of an organizations management is related to the out put of the organization therefore enhancing performance. Strategic decision making is also vital in order to improve the relationship between action and strategy. The decision making process in an organization should be well structured in the sense that effective consultations should be made before making any particular decision. In learning institutions such as St Johns it is essential for the governing body to consult with the teachers, parents and pupils in order to enhance smooth implementation of plans (Child 1997). The institution should also make improvements on enhancing the relationship between the performances of the organization and public management. Empirical studies on performance and management through ststistical studies have indicated that the output of an organization should also be linked to the public sector. Mangers of organizations can greatly influence the performance of organizations they govern if they expand their relationship with external bodies. Literature on public administration has put emphasis on the importance of the public service provision in the political context. Much effort has also been placed on analyzing the efforts contributed by public organizations. Public organizations such as the local authorities and the local government can assist an institution within all organizational variables such improving structure, culture, financing the institution and strategy development (Borins 2001). The St Johns institution is effectively managed and governed under the framework of the Catholic Church however it is vital for the institution to expound its connection with the public service. The organization should also put more efforts to link up with the public sector for benefits such as public organizations have highly formal or bureaucratic Structures, and the potential consequences of such structures, can also be attained by the St Johns school. The public management can also influence institutional changes for instance changes in the environment and also management. Lessons from the learning process The lessons learnt from concerning the learning process apart from those highlighted by the St Johns Catholic school documentation is that education should basically reflect on the enduring values of equality and personal development for all. This can be attained through effective institutional strategic development (Govindarajan 1988). Conclusion It is essential that institutions such as schools to have knowledge of key enterprise management strategies in order to effectively explore the relationship organizational learning, organizational culture and enterprise management. As noted in the analysis above an institution such as the St Johns Catholic School through the integration of the process of strategic management in the institution success has been attained at particular levels for instance i9n academic advancement and personal development of learners. Reference Heracleous, L. (2003). 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