The nature of hybrid governance: A case study of a large and well-established European international school

Abstract

The number of international schools is growing rapidly and existing data points to great diversity of their governance structure. The nature of hybrid governance, in which a board comprises both elected and appointed governors, was investigated through a case study of an international school in western Europe and triangulated with interviews with nine experts in international schooling. Hybrid governance was found to offer the advantages of both elected and appointed boards: elections foster transparency and representation of stakeholders, while appointments allow the board to be populated with particular skills. A model for governance was presented in which the hybrid structure is underpinned by recruitment and training practices that ensure governors complement the existing skillset of the board, have desirable motivations for serving, and understand their role. This model may be useful for informing international school improvement efforts, although its compatibility with the diverse landscape of international schools remains to be determined.