ABSTRACT
When the environment in which teachers work is poor three important kinds of pressures are generated: physical, financial and organizational. The physical aspects of poor working conditions include badly constructed buildings with inadequate sound-proofing and high noise levels, and split-site schools with the consequent difficulties of commuting between buildings. The financial aspects are becoming increasingly significant. Reduced school budgets have meant lower levels of expenditure on equipment and textbooks and smaller LEA funds have resulted in the redeployment of teachers, redundancies, school closures, narrowing of promotion opportunities and the restriction of career prospects. The organizational aspects include difficult and frustrating staff relationships which may result in little support of junior staff by top management, poor co-operation between the academic and pastoral concerns and conflict between departments and teams and between cliques in the staffroom. The major consequences of poor communications include conflict about different aspects of school policy and time pressures because of poor planning of issues such as meetings and deadlines. These organizational pressures are often related to the management styles of the head and deputies.
