Following a brief summary of the historical context of the professorship in educational administration from 1959 to the present, an eclectic philosophical grounding for the profession, drawing from naturalism, instrumentalism, empiricism, and pragmatism, is proposed. Implications for inquiry and practice are drawn, and recommendations for future…

Examination of the characters of school administrators in British and American literature, supplemented by some biographical works, leads to the conclusion that school administrators are portrayed as villainous ogres, incompetent clods, or kindly altruists in the bulk of the earlier works, and are largely absent from the modern novel. (SK)

A study of eight school districts in each of six states gathered descriptive data about public school administrators employed in 1980. This article summarizes the composite data on administrator characteristics, length of service, and results of affirmative action. Strategies for providing additional opportunities for women and minorities are…

Present trends in empirical research into educational administration are toward ritualization and lack of creativity. Theory building should consist of formal logic and creative abstracting. The prime goal of research should be to provide explanations about phenomena in nature. (JN)

The administrator whose vision does not extend beyond the specific responsibilities of his own position and the routine problems in his immediate situtation is unlikely to engage in significant educational leadership. Constraints to leadership, personal prerequisites for leadership, and methods of extending leadership vision are presented.…

The purpose of this study was to collect descriptive data on deans of education in order to create effective in-service programs for deans. (MM)

Traces the history of the author's experience as the chair of an English department and discusses the leadership required of an effective chair. (DD)

Discusses the department head as an advocate for the department, a recruiter, and a human being; describes the relationship between department heads and faculty. (DD)

Considers the findings of Lewin, Lippitt, and White on the effects of leadership styles. (Author/WD)

Investigates what differences, if any, exist between the communicative behaviors exhibited by male and female supervisors in organizations. Indicates several dimensions of communicative behavior where differences exist and suggests that female managers supervise more effectively than male managers. (JMF)

Managerial receptivity to new policy, perceived emphasis by top level management, organizational size, work overload, perceptions of the importance of performance for promotion, and the manager's attitude toward change were important predictors for successful implementation. (Author)

Explores issues relating to Black women administrators in traditionally Black higher education institutions, and discusses some competencies and coping strategies used to achieve success. (ST)

A principal gives his explanation of what leadership is. It is idiosyncratic and involves working of individualization in one's treatment of others, learning which problems are problems, learning to wait, reducing fear, selective risk-taking, and pursuing independence and interdependence. (IRT)

Personal speculation is offered regarding the quality of administration apparent in colleges and universities. It is suggested that the real work of academe, acquiring and disseminating knowledge, is done by professors and students and that administrators today are more interested in toughness, efficiency, and prestige than knowledge. (LBH)

The seven state libraries of Australia are profiled in two- page articles. Each article contains a description of the library and its programs, a statement from its director or state librarian about his/her background, and photographs. (DGM)