Educational Leadership
The Moral Art
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Description
This book shows that educational leadership is not a science but a philosophical activity, a moral art. The central problem of administration is defined as value conflict, and Hodgkinson presents an analysis and theory of value and of conflict resolution. He examines what it means to be a leader and how to cope with the pressures of organizational life. Additionally, he deals with leadership as a human and humane process engaging consciousness and will in a context of values and ethics.
Christopher Hodgkinson is Professor of Educational Administration and Public Administration at the University of Victoria, British Columbia. He is the author of Towards a Philosophy of Administration and The Philosophy of Leadership.
Reviews
"I found it fascinating to read; it prompts thinking about administration and encourages the reader to reconceptualize important aspects of work. It provides a valuable assessment of crucial issues and dilemmas in administering and does not dismiss them with simple slogan-like panaceas. Hodgkinson underscores the hard work and difficult challenges of being morally aware within an organizational context. " — Gretchen B. Rossman, University of Massachusetts
"The author provides a different and important conception of leadership, one that stresses the philosophical and moral dimensions of administrative activity. I like Hodgkinson's analysis of educational purposes (one of the best I've read on the subject), and his effort to compare the challenges facing school administrators with those confronting professionals in general. " — Daniel L. Duke, University of Virginia