The maintenance management function requires staff to possess a truly multidisciplinary set of skills. This includes competencies from engineering and information technology to health and safety, management and finance, while also taking into account the normative and legislative issues. This body of knowledge is rarely readily available within a…

Business Inspiration was a short, action-centred leadership and innovation development programme designed for owners and managers of smaller firms to address business survival and repositioning needs arising from the UK's economic downturn. The article examines the design and delivery of Business Inspiration and the impact of the programme on…

This article examines how novice principals reflect on the adequacy or otherwise of their preparation. It looks at data drawn from the International Study of Principal Preparation (ISPP), and in particular a questionnaire of principals up to three years in post, in Scotland. The principals find much about their preparation has helped them gain…

The study investigated employee learning strategies in community pharmacies in Australia and the factors that explain differences among pharmacies in the strategies employed. A qualitative methodology was applied, involving semi-structured interviews with owners, managers, or senior employees of 12 pharmacies. The findings revealed learning…

The Fast Track Teaching (FTT) programme in England, developed and funded by central government, is an accelerated leadership development programme designed for teachers in the early years of their careers. It was intended to promote their retention and rapid promotion in the profession through advancing their leadership skills. It provides a…

This article seeks to explore the influence of the National Professional Qualification for Headship (NPQH) in England in supporting aspirant heads to make the transition to headship. It draws upon a sample of NPQH graduates confirming their perceived readiness for headship prior to the commencement of their NPQH programme. A questionnaire survey…

An effective school requires an effective leader, but great principals rarely just happen. They are cultivated. This Wallace Perspective draws on a decade of foundation research and work in school leadership to show how urban school districts can play a major role in ensuring they have principals who can boost teaching and learning in troubled…

This article reports and interprets the findings of a study of headteachers' views and perceptions of continuing professional development (CPD) provision and their ongoing CPD needs and priorities, carried out in 2007 in Scotland, involving headteachers from the primary and secondary sectors. Topic areas in which headteachers generally were most…

This in-depth case study utilized grounded theory methodology to discover how a large privately-owned manufacturing firm in Northeastern USA develops values-based leaders, particularly from minority populations. Over 18 months, interviews with 35 leaders from five levels explored the perceived influence of the environment on leaders' behaviors and…

Using a qualitative case study approach, the authors explore social justice implications of inservice principals' practices that affect attitudes and empower teachers. If a primary educational goal of progressive schooling is to create and sustain more democratic schools by enabling the growth of teachers as leaders who are responsible for their…

This article attempts to establish the scope of critical management education in a formal educational setting. It is based on an empirical study of 24 academic staffs' experience of engaging critical management education in four UK University Business Schools. The study seems to show that there are significant barriers to and potential pitfalls in…

Differential adoption of work/life programs by organizations was investigated by studying chief executive officers. A grounded theory was developed and differential adoption explained by the way CEOs made decisions. Implications for work/life program managers include suggestions for persuading CEOs to adopt work/family programs. The study adds to…

The concept of managers assuming developmental roles such as coaches and learning facilitators has gained considerable attention in recent years as organizations seek to leverage learning by creating infrastructures that foster employee learning and development. Despite the increased focus on coaching, the literature base remains atheoretical.…

Summarizes a study that queried 140 South Carolina principals regarding their training needs, prior training activities, and recommendations for improvement. Participants' most important training needs involved curriculum design and instruction and the learning environment. Principals were most concerned about training time and location, activity…

Analyzes school board members' on-the-job training and development from board members' and superintendents' perspectives. Most board members viewed their own learning development within a broader framework than did most superintendents; the latter mistakenly saw themselves as central to board learning. Implications for three policy areas (training…