Abstract:

Micro-politics is a distinctive perspective within organizational theory that underscores the utilization of both formal and informal power dynamics among individuals or groups. This is done to further personal interests or achieve organizational goals through various strategies. Micro-political research in education encompasses various aspects, including leaders, leadership, meeting participation, school organization, and development. While there are numerous related educational studies, it remains an emerging research field in Taiwan. Stephen J. Ball's seminal work, "The Micropolitics of the School" (1987), is widely employed as the foundational concept in most research in Taiwan, followed by Blasé's Micropolitical Leadership Matrix and political strategies.

The literature reviewed in domestic studies predominantly delves into Ball's work, published in 1987, titled "The Micropolitics of the School: Towards a Theory of School Organization." Alternatively, scholars in the United States, such as Blasé, have contributed books and articles on the subject (Blasé, 1991; 1995; 2002). Both sources delve into Authoritarian leadership and Adversarial leadership. However, most domestic literature tends to exclusively cite one of these works. Thus, the paper aims to compare the micro-political perspectives on Authoritarian and Adversarial leadership, drawing on Ball (1987) and the collaborative work of Blasé and Anderson in 1995, titled "The Micropolitics of Educational Leadership: From Control to Empowerment." The ultimate objective is to propose a new theoretical framework - the micro-political leadership matrix.

The research method employed is document analysis. The study initially outlines the overall structure of the authoritarian and adversarial leadership proposed by Ball (1987) and Blasé & Anderson (1995), subsequently exploring their similarities and differences. Beyond comparison and discussion, the study concludes by introducing a micro-political leadership matrix named "The Three Dimensions of Micro-political Leadership." Ultimately, the aim is for this study to provide novel insights in the field of micro-politics for scholars and related researchers, contributing to the ongoing development of educational research.

Keywords:

Micro-politics, Authoritarian leadership, Adversarial leadership.