Abstract:

The twenty-first century and the global age require educational institutions to cope with complexities and a wide variety of risk situations. This study is based on the idea that the leaders of complex systems effectively manage existing risks and create the future instead of controlling the future. Therefore, the research aims to identify the risks that middle-level education managers face in the context of complexity theory and the methods they use for these risks. In the research, one of the qualitative research methods was used by the conversation method. The research work group consists of ten educational managers in the National Education Directorate of the Province of Çanakkale in the 2017-2018 educational year. With regard to the characteristics of the educational managers, other than one are men. The age of the educational managers varies between five and twenty years. In the collection of research data, the interview form developed by the researcher and consisted of ten open end questions was used. For the development of the interview form, the relevant field text, which consists of scientific publications related to risk management, complexity theory and leadership, has been scaned. In relation to the developed form of interview, the expert opinion was taken from three faculty members at the University of Çanakkale Eighteen March. As a result, the final form of the meeting was given. In the analysis of data, the type of content analysis has been applied to the tubular analysis technique. First of all, the data is provided in line with the purpose of the research and the sub-problems. Then the data is grouped according to the sub-problems identified themes. One of the findings from the study is that middle-level educational managers set strategies in the framework of contemporary management approaches in the management of the educational institutions with very different risks and complex situations, risks and complex situations in general. The most important risks that educational managers see in the organization in the planning, implementation and control dimensions are behaviors that include resistance to change, lack of communication, lack of sufficient and qualified staff. In addition, the interference of people who do not specialize in decision-making and the oppressive behavior of the local press are other risks. Meanwhile, the middle-level educational managers have chosen strategies to ensure that all stakeholders are responsible for decision making in order to effectively manage the risks in the educational institution, to make open communication, to do preliminary studies involving risk analysis, to analyze SWOT (GZFT) for uncertainty management, to clearly set goals and to apply to new solutions. However, it is clear that middle-level training managers do not identify the risks, prioritize the risks, assess the risks or make a risk program. Therefore, the level of knowledge of managers about risk management processes and risk management methods is insufficient.