All About Education Managers

Definition of Education Manager

• An education manager is responsible for the daily operations of a school or education agency.
• They may hold titles such as School Headmaster, Principal, or Education Secretary.

Functions of Education Manager

• Performing duties such as, day-to-day activities of a school.
• Planning involves selecting a mission, objectives, and the actions to achieve them, requiring choosing among options.
• According to Glueck (1980), organizing is dividing work into units to achieve organizational goals.
• Managers are expected to distribute tasks to improve worker performance.
• Staffing includes filling positions and vacancies, requiring identifying available personnel and recruitment needs.
• Managers handle staff selection, placement, promotion, and training.
• Controlling, as defined by NOUN (2004), is regulating organizational activities to meet standards.
• Managers should control resources to achieve educational goals, preventing waste.
• Leading involves guiding subordinates using strategies to achieve goals.
• Methods include motivation, communication, subordinate involvement, and fairness.

Power

• Power involves compelling others to act against their wishes, according to Nwachukwu (1992).

Types of Power

• Legitimate power is influence derived from a formal position, allowing a school head to direct subordinates.
• Reward power involves influencing others by satisfying their needs through means like salary, gifts, or recognition.
• Coercive power is forcing obedience through fear of punishment, whether in official duties or otherwise.
• Referent power comes from being liked or admired, inspiring others to copy the individual.
• Expert power is based on skills or expertise that command respect, seen in professions like teaching or medicine.

Authority

• Authority is the power to make decisions, direct others, and control activities, vested by the organization (Heinz and Koontz 2005).
• It originates from laws, not personal traits.
• Authority grants the right to command and is to be obeyed within the organization.
• A school principal has the authority to manage human and material resources.

Kinds of Authority

• Line authority is power a superior officer has over junior officers due to seniority, with the ability to command and instruct.
• Staff authority is authority through designation, providing power to command based on expertise e.g. teachers, engineers, nurses.
• Functional authority is power to control others in similar fields, reducing redundancy and conflict.

Leadership

• Leadership uses power, authority, and influence to manage resources for results.
• Involves strategies to organize human, material, and financial resources for organizational goals.
• Educational leaders use manpower and materials to achieve school objectives.

Types of Leadership

• Autocratic leaders make decisions without consulting subordinates.
• They have little trust in subordinates, and workers may not feel a sense of collective responsibility.
• Laissez-faire leaders show little concern for organizational activities or progress.
• This leadership style lacks control and concern for goals, resulting in low productivity and teamwork.
• Democratic leaders consult subordinates and are open to school activities.
• This increases worker freedom and responsibility, leading to higher productivity and less conflict.

Qualities of Good Leadership

• Good leaders are energetic and able to work hard with subordinates, requiring physical and mental health.
• They are emotionally stable, able to control anger and understand situations to make sound decisions.
• They maintain good human relations, respecting subordinates and showing empathy.
• Good leaders are sociable, able to mix well and be receptive to subordinates.
• They possess strong communication skills to convince followers and reduce ambiguity.

Communication

• Communication is the transmission/reception of signals interpreted through context (Philip, Gerald, & Phil, 2011).
• A form of sound, signs, or symbols between receiver and sender.
• Communication is also the exchange of facts, ideas, or emotions.

Communication Stages

• Sender: The person sending a message, also called the encoder.
• Process/Channel: The vehicle used to convey a message, such as writing or symbols.
• Receiver: The person collecting the message, also known as the decoder.