This study sought to describe how an elementary school faculty made sense of the impending succession of its principal, and to extend Gephart's effort to develop a grounded theory of leader succession by examining an unforced succession in an organization whose members exerted little if any influence on the selection process. On the basis of…

Applying theory from organizational and cultural perspectives to succession of principals, this study observes and records the language and culture of a small suburban elementary school. The study's procedures included analyses of shared organizational understandings as well as identification of the principal's influence on the school. Analyses of…

Describes how an elementary school coped with its principal's impending departure and extends R. Gephart's grounded theory of leader succession--that faculty collectively degrade the departing principal's status. This study finds individual degradation attitudes prevalent among teachers lacking meaningful contact with the departing principal.…