Theories of Strategic Management - Essay Example

Name : xxxxxxxxxxx Institution : xxxxxxxxxxx Title : Strategic management - the process of strategic management in education Tutor : xxxxxxxxxxx Course : xxxxxxxxxxx @2010 Table of Contents Table of Contents 2 Introduction 3 Strategic management in education 4 Content of strategic management in public service organizations 6 School description 7 Semester Schedule at Saint John Fisher Catholic College 9 Holiday: Monday 26 October – Friday 30 October 5 days 10 Strategic management at St John Fisher Catholic College 10 Theories of strategic management applied in St John Fisher Catholic College 15 Conclusion 16 Bibliography 17 Introduction Strategic management is the process used mostly by the business managers to help the organization to respond properly to new challenges that come along its way. It is a dynamic process that enables businesses to respond to challenges in the most efficient manner and adopt new ways of doing business. Strategic management also applies in various fields including in the education systems such as the schools. This is because same as the businesses, schools are also faced with many challenges that require specific responses through strategic management. The process of strategic management consists of four main elements which include situational analysis, strategy formulation, strategy implementation and strategy evaluation (Pearce & Robinson 2003). Situational analysis involves considering both the external and internal environments of the organization and the context in which the organization fits in these environments. In the schools, the environment involves the students, teachers, parents, other members of staff and the members of the society among others. All these have an impact on the functioning of the school and must be analyzed in strategizing the management of the school. Situational analyses also require the managers to consider the organizational needs that are not met and the interactions between various members of the institution. After analyzing the situation, strategy formulation follows. Strategy formulation involves determining the strengths of the institution and deciding the best strategy that can be taken. Strategies may be operational (day to day activities that defines the procedures by which the institution operates), competitive (involving ways of competing with another institution) or corporate (long term plans that determines the direction to be taken by the organization) (Flint & Fleet, 2005, p47). The third process is strategy implementation which involves putting in place the formulated strategy. The management team looks at the procedures and the methods that should be involved in executing the strategy that has been formulated. The last element is strategy evaluation which involves observing the results of the implemented strategy. This evaluation is done on all the processes to see whether they have worked as required and whether the end results is as desired (Ruduan, Jegak, Haslinda, & Alimin, 2009, p 405). Strategic management in education The purpose of management in the education sector, basically in the schools is to set the direction, the aims and the objectives of the institution. It is the role of the school administration to define the main purpose of the institution while the goals and objectives are achieved through group activities. According to Middlewood & Lumby (2001), the main purpose of the education institutions must be related to learning. Therefore strategic management in education is important in facilitating student’s learning and also to raise a model for the learning process. According to Bush & Coleman (2000, p 7), the issues involved in education strategic management are integrity and consistency. This means that the management of the schools and colleges should be based on the main purpose of the school and should have clearly defined working principles. The management of schools and colleges takes place in a specific social, economic and educational context. Under the social context, education institutions are subject to changes in the government legislation as well as changes in the larger society. The institution must therefore cope with all these changes (Alkhafaji 2003, p19). There has however been a rapid change in the society over the past few decades and there are little hopes of attaining social stability in education. Schools are also linked to the economy and the governments are aware that schools require a well skilled workforce so that they can maintain economic competitiveness. In most schools, the government controls the curriculum, conducts school assessment and inspection but gives the schools control over the resources, including the school budgets and the staff at the same time maintains the institutional competitiveness in all aspects. The main challenge faced by the schools is the duty of self management (Milliken 2009, p42). To be able to carry out self management accordingly, the schools are adopting strategic approaches that will enable them to integrate all the duties including staffing, budgeting, and external relations. This strategic approach involves taking an integrated view of the institution and planning for long term goals within a framework that is well outlined of its goals and objectives. Generally, strategic management in education requires the ability to bring together all the aspects in the school for the purpose of bringing in the best outcomes possible (King 2007, p. 889-900) Content of strategic management in public service organizations It is very important for the managers in the public organizations to develop strategies that lead to their improved performance. Competition is not a very common issue in the public sector but the main issue is on the performance. Strategy content in the public organizations refers to the patterns of service provision that are selected to be implemented by the public organizations (Mintzberg & Quinn 1995, p 67). This is unlike the private sector where the strategy is used as a tool for gaining competitiveness. According to Morden, (2007), the most important contents for the strategies in public organizations are the objectives to be met which are all aimed at improving the performance of the organization. Then the action is designed that will be taken to implement the stated objectives. The outcome is a pattern of action that is proposed by the members of the organization to be taken in achieving the desired objectives. This action however requires modification of the existing internal and external environment so that the organization can make use of its available opportunities. Fernandez, & Rainey, (2006) explains that strategy content can be viewed under tow approaches. First, it can be seen as a general approach that explains the position of the organization and how it interacts with the environment. In other words, it is the stance of the organization regarding how it seeks to develop its performance. Secondly, the content describes the steps taken by the organization towards operating within its stance. These are the strategic actions which altogether form the strategic management plan for the organization (Pearson 1999, p 271-293). School description St John Fisher Catholic College is an inclusive catholic school that is run by the Archdiocese of Birmingham. The main reason for the existence of the school is to offer high quality education that follows the teachings of Jesus Christ and his church to the members of the catholic community in Birmingham. Other aims of the school include improving the knowledge and personal commitment of the catholic and the Christian community, developing a common Christian culture where all the Christians will enjoy a sense of self dignity and status, and also lead confidence lives as they enjoy equal worth and value. Another aim is to help the pupils to understand themselves and others in a better manner and to find their best life vocation as well as becoming responsible society members. The college also aims at creating an active partnership between the school, the homes and the parish as they develop and make use of the school and the community at large. One of the most important aspects in the school is the act of daily worship. This is not done just as a formality it is a fundamental part of their lives as a Christian community that lives under the teachings of Jesus Christ. All the pupils must commit some time to worship in groups of the forms, the year and also larger gatherings. Any gathering and the assemblies held in the morning must involve the cat of worship which is different for other administrative activities. The school promotes active participation of the students in worship as much as possible. The worship groups are meant to help the students to get more encouraged and improve on their confidence (St John Fisher Catholic College 2010). St John Fisher Catholic College has a priest chaplain who conducts mass every week. This mass is however prepared by the form groups in attendance of other pupils and the members of the staff. The school administration however ensures that those attending the Mass are registered so that they may not be penalized for getting late to the first lesson. Another very important element in the Catholic school is Eucharist which is also important to the life of all the Catholics. The school therefore prepares and runs liturgy since a large proportion of their students only encounter mass while in the school. With the mission of the school being to follow the life and teachings of Christ, the school has devoted some sessions of their training days to examining and exploring the spiritual basis of their school and the mission of the educators in the Christian context (St John Fisher Catholic College 2010) . As stated in St John Fisher Catholic College staff handbook, the overall activity of the school is effective teaching and learning. The main challenge that is faced in carrying out this overall activity is the difference in personalities, habits, and preferred working styles among the teachers. However, to help the pupils, it is important for the school to have a coherent and consistent working structure that will apply across the whole school (Fidler 2002, 31-35). The school has therefore set an ethos that promotes an orderly and purposeful learning environment. This environment has been created by carefully laying down a structure which must be run through commitment and engagement of the whole school community. There are standards and values which must be always proclaimed and lived out by every adult member of the community. The role of formulating the working policies belongs to the head teacher and the school’s governing body. These policies must be adhered to by all the students and the members of the staff since it would be destructive to the school culture if every individual is allowed to decide for themselves the important policies and procedures to observe. The educators have the biggest responsibility of modeling the virtues and the standards that they proclaim through their teachings. This is a professional requirement for all the educators. This is because they cannot expect the pupils to adhere to those values if they do not demonstrate them (Løwendahl, B., 2005, p81). Semester Schedule at 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) Strategic management at St John Fisher Catholic College To be able to cope with the individual differences in personality, idiosyncrasy, and working styles, the school has set up a common structure that is consistent in all departments in the school. This structure is designed to ensure meaningful teaching and learning in the entire school. For example, to ensure uniform procedures in supervising and controlling the class movements, these procedures are clearly written and posted in every classroom and they apply uniformly to every person teaching in that room at any time. It is the role of every adult to remind the children of their safety, punctuality and also to promote stability and orderly movement. Other classroom procedures include checking of the uniforms before and after every lesson and when any teacher encounters the pupils around the college buildings. The teacher must explain the objectives of the lesson to the pupils, that is, what they are supposed to know at the end of the lesson. Where the pupils are to work in groups, the teacher must give practical instructions in a clear manner and must also address the safety issues. The teacher must also clarify behavior expectations and the pupils should not be allowed to interrupt the lesson plan. Teaching must be allocated sufficient time so that the teacher may be able to gather the class together to summarize the lesson and asses the progress that has been made. Where the teacher gives homework, the details must be recorded in the pupils’ diaries. Teachers must conclude the lessons before dismissing the class and the pupils must be reminded to arrive early to the class. Finally, the teachers should not dismiss the class before the bell rings since the pupils may be left to disrupt others in the neighborhood (St John Fisher Catholic College 2010). Another strategic approach is in managing the pupils’ behavior by setting and maintaining the standards. This is the duty and responsibility of all the teachers to ensure progress of all the pupils. To manage these standards, the teachers must ensure that they regularly and clearly communicate with the pupils, always remind the pupils of their expectations in maintain high standards of behavior and in applying them to their class work. The teachers must also share the mission of the school since it is the ground for the general standards. They must also be aware of the health and safety requirements, and good order as well as ensuring that the students properly understand these issues. Minor cases of misbehavior must be handled by the members of the staff who are involved in an effective manner that will not disrupt other pupils and teachers. Any other sanction that may be found necessary must be conducted by that teacher and also supervised accordingly. The punishments given to the pupil must not be for just occupying the pupil’s time but must be related to the offence and aimed at concluding the whole issue. Pupils who have problems in responding to the normal class techniques should be directed to Director of Learning or the Curriculum Leader for further support. If the pupil does not improve, the intervention of the head teacher together with the parents may be required. The intervention may be aimed at helping the pupils to improve in their behavior and be able to make meaningful progress in their education. Some pupils may require specific support which must be provided to enable them meet their full potential (St John Fisher Catholic College 2010). Other management strategies in improving the pupils’ behavior include fixed term and permanent exclusions although these must be taken as the last resort since they may have negative impacts on the child. The adults are also not allowed to use physical chastisement on the pupils. This includes pushing, striking and prodding with a finger. These are considered as assault and may be result to criminal charges. The staff should also be careful so as to avoid physical confrontation. They are advised to walk away from volatile situations where they sense likelihood of confrontation. Such incidences must also be reported to the head teacher. The other strategic management approach is on response to allegations of abuse or misconduct. This approach is designed for the sake of protecting all the members of staff. Intentional acts of harm are not common but sometimes incidences may occur and in the heat of the situation, an accident can take place. There are therefore procedures for dealing with such cases. For example, if any member of staff may accidentally hit a child, he or she should report this to the head teacher immediately. This is to ensure that should the parent report the case to the police, the head teacher may be in a position to provide the required information. However, it is a legal requirement for all the staff in the school to be aware of and observe the ruling that any form of physical contact should be avoided. This is however exceptional in cases where the pupil is about to cause harm to him or herself, to others and to any property. In extreme cases, some reasonable force may be used but should be proportional to the size of the pupil and rarely exceeding holding the child’s arms. Other strategic management approaches are in ensuring a safe environment that is free from violence. In achieving this, the school is guided by Jesus’ commandment of loving our neighbors as we love ourselves. This is a call to treat others equally and in a dignified manner and is observed in all interactions within the school. Acts of violence include fighting, intimidating others or threatening them. Pupils who involve themselves in the violent acts may be formally expelled from the school. Any violence involving pupils or members of the school, whether it takes place within the school or outside, may affect the reputation of the school and should therefore be avoided (St John Fisher Catholic College 2010). The other strategic management aspect is on school attendance. The school has the attendance policy that looks at punctuality and absenteeism. On punctuality, the policy states that a pupil who arrives late for the morning registration should not sign in at the attendance office but should instead go to the form room and ask the tutor to register him or her. Those who arrive after the registration are considered to be absent and this must be properly explained. There must be weekly reports on the absenteeism of the pupils. Parents must notify the attendance office if their children will be absent that day and they should do this before 9.10 am. The parents must also send a letter explaining the reason for absenteeism. Absenteeism details are updated in the Lesson Monitor System by the general office. Other strategic management policies apply in bullying where the school has an anti bullying policy that promotes commitment to mutual respect for all the members of the school community. The other is on use of pupils’ school diaries which facilitates communication between parents, teachers and the pupils. Curriculum leaders must monitor the coverage of every teacher’s work and also the class progress. The staff must also keep records of the daily marks awarded to the students in their homework and assignments. This information is used in judging the performance and academic progress of the pupils. Regarding the examinations, it is the duty of the Examinations officer to set in place the arrangements for each examination on behalf of the head teacher. The examination officer publishes the timetable and other details regarding the invigilation of the examinations. All the above strategic management policies are then emailed to the staff members, placed in staff preparation rooms, and posted in the school website. All the members of the St John Fisher Catholic College must be aware of the above policies and must observe them. Theories of strategic management applied in St John Fisher Catholic College There are various theories explaining the concept of strategic management as applied in the St John Fisher Catholic School. One of these theories is the resource based theory which states that the source of competitive advantage in any organization is the organization’s internal resources and not its position in the external environment Singh 2008, p26-28). This means that the opportunities of the organization enable it to attain a competitive position in the environment. St John Fisher Catholic School puts more emphasis on the management of its staff and students so that there can be smooth learning in the school. Learning being the main objective, its smooth flow enables the school to maintain competitiveness (Barney, 2000, 643-650). The other theory is the human resource based theory that emphasizes on the importance of human element in efficient formulation of the strategies aimed at developing the organization. With all the policies in the school, the administration ensures that staff is provided with all the necessary resources that will facilitate adequate teaching and proper learning. The members of staff are also protected from physical violence and assault. This is to ensure that the school environment is safe for them to carry out their duties properly. This theory suggests that for the desired management strategies to function properly, the needs of the human resources involved must also be considered. The students are also protected and their rights safeguarded since they are very important part of the institution (Barney 2000, p99-120). The other theory is the agency theory which explains the importance of a good relationship between the students, teachers, parents and all the stakeholders of the organization. At St John Fisher Catholic College, issues concerning the school are discussed by all the players together. The school is not only run by the administrators but in conjunction with the teachers, the parents and the members of the society. The way in which the school is run is evident that all the success comes from the cooperation that exist between the teachers, parents, pupils, school directors and the members of the society. The other theory is the contingency theory which explains that an organization is managed depending on the prevailing situation. In the case of St John Fisher Catholic College, the school is run in the context of the catholic community. The management of the school is very keen on the situation at the community level and must consider this. The management also considers what the legal environment dictates pertaining the running of the school. The school policies are therefore set taking into consideration the legal requirement (Nutt 1989, p 155). Conclusion Strategic management is the process that involves strategic actions that are taken by an organization to respond to some specific challenges faced. These strategic actions must therefore be in line with the goals of the organization and the specific challenges. Strategic management is very important in all sectors including the education sector. In the education sector, strategic management is very important since the schools must respond to the changes in the government legislation as well as changes in the society. These changes pose a challenge to the schools and the school administration must therefore find strategic means of responding to these challenges. St John Fisher Catholic College faces many challenges in response to the changes in the catholic society in which the school is found, the general society and also the government legislation. The school administration therefore has set strategic policies and procedures that will be observed while responding to every likely situation in the school. Such situations include cases of violence, child protection, abuse and assault to the teachers and the pupils, pupils’ behavior and differences in individual personalities. These policies have been effective in helping the school overcome any negative impacts of such incidences. Bibliography Ruduan, C., Jegak, U., Haslinda, A., & Alimin, I., 2009, Management, Strategic Management Theories and the Linkage with Organizational Competitive Advantage from the Resource-Based View,European Journal of Social Sciences – Vol 11, Number 3:p 406. 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