Re: Schools as Systems LO3085

Michael McMaster (michael@kbddean.demon.co.uk)
Sat, 7 Oct 1995 07:43:57 +0000

Replying to LO3074 --

In John Pettit's introduction, he suggests that we've made mistakes
in dealing with schools "as organisations". Surely he means as
"corporations".

I find that we often use the term "organistion" when we mean
"corporation". I know that I do. I just did a revision of my book
and what jumped out at me was how many times I did it there.

What's the problem? The problem is that it's very hard to get
executives interested in the phenomenon of organisation. When
the word is used to mean both a *particular* instance of organisation
(say a company) and a *particular* form of organisation (say
mono-hierarchy) then it becomes difficult to talk about the
phenomenon.

I believe that the phenomenon of organisation and the explosion of
organisational forms that we are seeing is of major importance to the
future or human enterprise. To engage effectively in this arena, we
are going to have to make a clear distinction in the listening of
those we want to influence and part of accomplishing that will be to
clean up our own speaking and listening in the matter.

--
Michael McMaster
Michael@kbddean.demon.co.uk