Leadership, the logic of sufficiency and the sustainability of education

Bottery, Mike

Abstract

The notion of sufficiency has not yet entered mainstream educational thinking, and it still has to make its mark upon educational leadership. However, a number of related concepts – particularly those of sustainability and complexity theory – are beginning to be noticed. This article examines these two concepts and uses them to critique the quasi-economic notion of efficiency, before arguing that the concept of sufficiency arises naturally from this discussion. This concept, originally derived from environmental thinking, has both metaphorical and practical impact for educational organizations and their leadership. An examination of three possible meanings suggests that while an embrace of an imperative concept of sufficiency seems increasingly necessary, its adoption would probably lead to a number of other problems, as it challenges some fundamental societal values and assumptions. Nevertheless, the article argues that these need to be addressed for the sake of both sustainable leadership and a sustainable planet.

Citation

Bottery, M. (2012). Leadership, the logic of sufficiency and the sustainability of education. Educational Management Administration and Leadership, 40(4), 449-463. https://doi.org/10.1177/1741143212438220

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Mar 1, 2012
• Online Publication Date: Apr 25, 2012
• Publication Date: 2012-07
• Deposit Date: Apr 22, 2016
• Publicly Available Date: Apr 22, 2016
• Journal: Educational management administration and leadership
• Print ISSN: 1741-1432
• Electronic ISSN: 1741-1440
• Publisher: SAGE Publications
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 40
• Issue: 4
• Pages: 449-463
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/1741143212438220
• Keywords: Complexity, Efficiency, Leadership, Sufficiency, Sustainability
• Public URL: https://hull-repository.worktribe.com/output/436842
• Publisher URL: http://ema.sagepub.com/content/40/4/449.abstract
• Additional Information: This is the authors accepted manuscript version of an article published in Educational management administration and leadership, 2012, v.40 issue 4.