How can school leaders navigate organisational politics?

Abstract

Organisational politics consists of a range of activities related to the deployment of influence tactics aimed at promoting the interests of a person or organisation (Jarrett, 2017). Given that dysfunctional politics can harm a private language school, it is essential for a leader to understand what forms it can take and how it can be used for the organisation’s wellbeing (Jarrett, 2017). When deployed effectively, politics can help an organisation to achieve its strategic goals, particularly during a period of change (Jarrett, 2017). In fact, organisational politics can be viewed as a tool that leaders can employ when seeking to instigate strategic change, usually doing so in subtle ways (Lewis, 2002). At other times, using politics might be an unavoidable way of bringing about change, especially if a leader is operating within an organisation with a deeply entrenched culture that is experiencing a crisis (Lewis, 2002). Those school leaders who are more adept at political behaviour tend to not only accrue more personal power but also enable their organisation to benefit.