Global Forces, National Mediations and the Management of Educational Institutions

Abstract

This article argues that those interested in the future development of educational management theory and practice need to examine the global context within which they occur because this global context has a profound influence upon both of them. It begins by presenting definitions of both globalization and educational management, and goes on to argue that, contrary to what some writers believe, the effects of global forces are not simple and unmediated, but are affected by nation state interventions into economic affairs, the social lives of citizens, and the educational institutions of these states. This means that educational managers can expect to be more, rather than less, directed by national legislation, and that the strategies and policies devised at national level may mean that schools and educational institutions in general will follow increasingly nationalistic rather than global paths.