From personal ethos to organizational vision: narratives of visionary educational leaders
| Pages | 451-467 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/09578231011054716 |
| Date | 06 July 2010 |
| Published date | 06 July 2010 |
| Author | Raya Yoeli,Izhak Berkovich |
| Subject Matter | Education |
From personal ethos to
organizational vision: narratives
of visionary educational leaders
Raya Yoeli and Izhak Berkovich
School of Education, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
Abstract
Purpose – Successful visionary educational leaders promote a shared vision with great commitment
and manage to connect other organizational members to it. In spite of this, the source of their personal
commitment to the organizational vision has not yet been the subject of extended study. The purpose
of this paper is to correct this by investigating leaders’ personal ethos; the personal experiences and
values which form their motives and personality. This paper furthermore considers the influence of
personal ethos on the content of the vision promoted in educational organizations. Finally, it explores
the link between leaders’ personal vision and the organizational vision they promote.
Design/methodology/approach – Semi-structured interviews were conducted with visionary
educational leaders. These interviews were narrative in nature and aimed to explore the development
process and the interrelation of personal and organizational vision in an educational framework.
Findings – Data indicate that visionary educational leaders do not separate their personal vision
from their organizational vision. Furthermore, the educational leaders interviewed told of formative
experiences which affected their worldview and shaped their personal ethos. Personal ethos proved to
be a key element in formulating the leaders’ personal and organization vision. Four prominent factors
emerged as central to the personal ethos of educational leaders: identity, culture and values,
professional experience, and family.
Originality/value – The findings suggest that educational leaders should engage in a process of
self-reflection in order to form a significant personal vision to which they can fully commit.
Furthermore, the insights of leaders about what is important to them can enable an open dialogue with
other organizational members and the development of a shared vision.
Keywords Leadership,Principals, Narratives, Motivation(psychology), Individual psychology,
Organizationalculture
Paper type Research paper
Introduction
In recent years, we have witnessed a growing number of schools and educational
non-governmental organizations formulating their own vision as a means of guiding
organizational activity, very often in the form of a “credo” or formal doctrine. This
phenomenon is related, among other things, to the assumption that vision focuses the
energy within the organization and increases its effectiveness (Bogler and Nir, 2001).
Furthermore, it has been argued that a shared vision of the organization provides vigor
and focus to organizational learning (Wang et al., 2004), uniting people around the image
of the desired future, and generating mutual commitment among them (Senge , 1990).
In fact, most researchers agree that vision is an important component of any
organization and is necessary for organizational success (Bennis and Nanus, 1985;
Senge, 1990; Collins and Porras, 1994; Sergiovanni, 1995; Frese et al., 2003). The process
of formulating a vision is long and complex, and usually begins with the leader’s
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Visionary
educational
leaders
451
Received June 2009
Revised September 2009
Accepted September 2009
Journal of Educational
Administration
Vol. 48 No. 4, 2010
pp. 451-467
qEmerald Group Publishing Limited
0957-8234
DOI 10.1108/09578231011054716
unique personal ethos. According to Katz (1999), in formulating a personal ethos, the
leader is:
[...] trying to trace what it motivates him to influence, trying to identify what a reality he
wishes to promote, and trying to learn from the people who influenced him and past
experience (p. 135).
The ethos reflects his patterns of thinking and acting (Katz, 1999), and as such
significantly affects his personal vision of the organization.
Different studies have focused on the various characteristics that can be attributed to
organizational-educational visions. For example, Larwood et al. (1995) classifies vision
statements by their level of innovation, difficultly, and flexibility; while Korland (2006)
classifies three types of school visions according to content: mission oriented,
inspirational and communication oriented.
Most studies in the field, however, have ignored the complex system of relationships
between the process of developing an organizational vision and its content
(Larwood et al., 1995). As a result, no studies have been conducted investigating the
influence of past personal experiences and values that shape leaders’ motives and
personality – i.e. leaders’ personal ethos – on the content of the vision they promote in
their organizations. The innovative contribution of this narrative research is the light it
sheds on this relationship through the use of personal-professional narratives.
Organizational vision
There are many definitions in the literature of the concept “organizational vision.” Most
of them share the view that organizational vision reflects a desired ideal for the
organization’s activity (Daft, 1999; Levy, 2000; Garcia-Morales et al., 2006). Often, vision
is described as an organizational compass that points in the direction the organization
should aim (Levy, 2000). Some researchers expand the definition of vision to include
organizational goals and strategies for achieving them (Yukl, 1998). Others emphasize
shared values (Berson et al., 2001). According to Katz (1999) successful organizational
vision establishes principles and values that guide the daily routine of the organization
and construct its meaning. In addition, it has been stressed that vision plays an important
role in creating a distinct organizational identity by uniting members of the organization
and promoting their sense of commitment and belonging (Landau et al., 2006).
The notion of vision is undoubtedly of great importance to organizations for a
number of reasons. Vision is perceived as directing the organization and its members to
unified values and standards, as well as encouraging commitment at all levels of the
organization (Bennis and Nanus, 1985; Garcia-Morales et al., 2006). It functions as a
“glue” holding together different organization units and activities (Katz, 1999), enabling
every member to integrate his desires and needs into the organization’s goals and its
future development paths. As such, it is an important element in increasing the
motivation of organizational members (Bennis and Nanus, 1985). In addition, it has been
contended that a shared futuristic vision , worthy and attainable, pushes the
organization to excel and succeed better in the long term (Nanus, 1992).
It is further argued that organizational vision is no less a central element of
educational environments. A literature review recently performed shows that school
vision may serve as a measure of school performance and is a significant factor in
planning the curriculum, the teaching methods and the professional development of the
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