Abstracts - Earli

tensions and disturbances we have documented in this kind of organization, trigger the emergenceand institutionalization of activities specifically arranged for learning. In the setting we havestudied, one such recurrent activity is the ‘Case studio’. These specifically arranged activities forlearning have been video-recorded and analyzed. An interesting result of our analyzes is that theseinstitutionalized learning activities serve to discuss quality of work in terms of the specificaccountability constraints of the team and that the discussion at this meta level is characterized bythe reinforcement of team norms. At the same time the institutionalized character of thiscommunicative activity becomes a necessity for doing IT-support work.Leadership, vision and organizational learning in schoolHanna Kurland, Oranim Academic College of Education, IsraelSchools are currently under pressure to adapt to rapid changes in society, and to improveeducational outcomes. Researchers claim that leadership style, school organizational vision (SOV)and processes of school organizational learning (SOL) are the key theoretical concepts relating toschool improvement (Fullan, 1995, 2002; Leithwood, 2004 ;Senge, 1990). The present studyexplored the relationships between principals’ leadership style (transformational, transactional andlaissez-faire), SOV and SOL processes. One hundred and four (104) Jewish elementary schools inIsrael were studied (104 principals and 1,474 teachers). The school was the unit of analysis. Fourorganizational learning mechanisms (OLM’s) were identified by using factor analysis: evaluation,staff involvement, information management, and in-school professional development. For thevision measure three factors emerged: mission, inspiration, and communication attributes.Hierarchical regression analyses indicated that leadership style predicted SOV and SOL processesin a similar pattern. The pattern of the prediction was positive and significant for transformational(the highest) and transactional leadership. Principals’ laissez-faire leadership style predictedsignificant negative SOV and SOL processes. Finally, SOV was a strong predictor of SOL. Theregression results suggest that SOV is the most powerful motivator of the process of organizationallearning (OL) in school. Thus, the ability of the principal to create a collective vision with theteachers is a crucial component of school leadership. Vision motivates the staff to improve schoolfunctions.Organizing the informal: how to find a balance in the initiation of communities of practice?Sanne Akkerman, Utrecht University, NetherlandsMaarten de Laat, University of Exeter, United KingdomThe notion of communities of practice has received great attention in educational andorganizational practice and research. Though the concept originally refers to collaborativepractices that emerge naturally, educational and HRD practitioners increasingly search for ways tointentionally create these practices in order to stimulate learning and professional development inspecific fields. This paper is aimed at getting insight in the intricate balance in the initiation ofcommunities of practice between deliberate organization and natural emergence. On the basis ofstudying the deliberate initiation of sixteen communities of practices in Europe within the touristsector, guidelines are formulated for establishing a balanced reciprocal relationship between theinitiator and the participants of the community of practice in order to successfully support informallearning. Besides offering practical guidelines, the study provides scientific insight in thepedagogy of communities of practice.– 360 –