ABSTRACT
As illustrated in Chapter 2, the systematic literature review, there has been limited research on the nature and management of risk, especially social risk during PSR. There has been no explicit attempt to explore the agent-structure relationship and its impact on the production and reproduction of social risk in a Scottish school education services (SSES) reform context. This chapter addresses this knowledge gap and contributes to the literature on social risk. It explores the association between macro-institutional structures driving SSES reform (along with the social practices of SSES institutions) and the agency (and behaviour) of their management team using structuration theory. Insights from risk management and structuration theories enable understanding about how the agent-structure duality facilitates the production and management of social risk during SSES reform. As previously mentioned in Chapter 3, the use of risk management and structuration theories in this book extends previous management studies. The chapter synthesizes the original research findings based on comparative analysis of the context and content of SSES reform in councils A and B. Considering school education reform in councils A and B, this chapter explores the role of (1) domination structures and facilities in the (re)production of social risk, (2) signification structures and interpretive schemes in social risk management, and (3) legitimation structures and norms in the institutionalization of social risk management. The concluding remarks summarizes salient points from discussions in this chapter.
