Date of Award
1-1-2004
Document Type
Thesis
Publisher
Edith Cowan University
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy
School
School of Management
Faculty
Faculty of Business and Public Management
First Supervisor
Professor Alan Brown
Second Supervisor
Bob Horstman
Third Supervisor
Dr Janis Bailey
Abstract
The past two decades have witnessed the introduction throughout much of the Western world of what has become known as economic rationalism, and for some commentators, as economic liberalism. Grounded in neoclassical economic theory, and with close kinship to the Taylorist and Fordist principles of the early decades of the twentieth century, the vision of economic rationalism has led to measures which have tended to favour the business sector in Australia. Throughout the 1990s, the focus has been on the notions of competitiveness, competition, productivity, efficiency, and profit, while the notions of the individual, and of social justice and equity, have often appeared to become correspondingly less important. As a result, there has emerged an increasing differentiation between the interests of capital and labour or, more broadly, between commercial and social interests. The differentiation is becoming increasingly stark, and one aspect which has attracted attention is that of work intensification. The thesis revolves around three research questions, related to the issue of work intensification, and with a focus on teachers. For the sake of the study, teachers arc deemed to include principals and deputy principals who, especially in smaller schools, have both teaching and administrative duties. The study examines the extent of teacher work intensification. Consequently, the first question is: "To what extent does work intensification exist amongst teachers in Western Australian State Schools?"
Recommended Citation
Richardson, N. B. (2004). Work intensification and professionalism : A study of teachers' perceptions in the state school system in Western Australia. Edith Cowan University. Retrieved from https://ro.ecu.edu.au/theses/788