Professor Mike Wallace
(he/him)

MA (Cantab), PhD (East Anglia)

Professor of Public Management

: Available for postgraduate supervision

Mike Wallace is a Professor of Public Management, in the Management, Employment and Organisations Section. He researches the management of public service change, teaches on the doctoral training programme, and facilitates the Early Career Researchers Network

2022

Wallace, M., Reed, M., O'Reilly, D., Tomlinson, M., Morris, J. and Deem, R. 2022. Developing public service leaders: elite orchestration, change agency, leaderism, and neoliberalization. Oxford: Oxford University Press. (10.1093/oso/9780199552108.001.0001)

2021

Wallace, M. and Wray, A. 2021. Critical reading and writing for postgraduates (4th edition). Student Success. Sage.

2016

Wallace, M. and Wray, A. 2016. Critical reading and writing for postgraduates (3rd edition). Sage Study Skills Series. Sage.

2015

Reed, M. and Wallace, M. 2015. Elite discourse and institutional innovation: making the hybrid happen in English public services. Research in the Sociology of Organizations 43, pp. 269-302. (10.1108/S0733-558X20150000043022)
Wray, A. and Wallace, M. 2015. Developing research expertise in applied linguistics: capacity-building for today’s interdisciplinary challenges. ITL: International Journal of Applied Linguistics 166(1), pp. 3-36. (10.1075/itl.166.1.01wra)

2014

Hoyle, E. and Wallace, M. 2014. Organisational studies in an era of educational reform. Journal of Educational Administration and History 46(3), pp. 244-269. (10.1080/00220620.2014.919900)
Jones, R. and Wallace, M. 2014. Another bad day at the training ground: coping with the ambiguity in the coaching context. In: Garvey, R. ed. Fundamentals of Coaching and Mentoring. SAGE Library in Business and Management SAGE Publications
Wray, A. and Wallace, M. 2014. Developing social science research expertise: a resource and guide for trainers. [Online]. National Centre for Research Methods. Available at: http://www.restore.ac.uk/researchexpertise/

2013

Wallace, M. and Hoyle, E. 2013. Educational reform: An ironic perspective. In: Bell, L. and Stevenson, H. eds. Organizing Public Education., Vol. 1. Organizing & Managing Public Services SAGE Publications
Tomlinson, M., O'Reilly, D. and Wallace, M. 2013. Developing leaders as symbolic violence: Reproducing public service leadership through the (misrecognized) development of leaders' capitals. Management Learning 44(1), pp. 81-97. (10.1177/1350507612472151)

2012

Wallace, M. and Hoyle, E. 2012. The dynamics of irony in organizational change: coping with a school merger. Public Administration 90(4), pp. 974-999. (10.1111/j.1467-9299.2012.02038.x)

2011

Wallace, M. and Tomlinson, M. 2011. Contextualising leader dynamics: how public service leaders endeavour to build influence. In: Preedy, M., Bennett, N. and Wise, C. eds. Educational leadership: context, strategy and collaboration. London: Sage, pp. 145-158.
Wray, A. and Wallace, M. 2011. Accelerating the development of expertise: a step-change in social science research capacity building. British Journal of Educational Studies 59(3), pp. 241-264. (10.1080/00071005.2011.599790)
Wallace, M. and Reed, M. I. 2011. Making the hybrid happen: Leadership discourse and organizational hybridization in public services. Presented at: British Academy of Management Conference (BAM) 2011, Birmingham, UK, 13-15 September 2011.
Wallace, M. 2011. Mobilizing public service leaders as change agents through leadership development initiatives in England: Problems and prospects. Presented at: Public Management Research Association Conference, Syracuse University, USA, 2-4 June 2011.
Wallace, M. and Wray, A. 2011. Scholarly reading as a model for scholarly writing. In: Rocco, T. S. and Hatcher, T. eds. The Handbook of Scholarly Writing and Publishing. Jossey-Bass higher and adult education series San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, pp. 44-61.
Wallace, M. and Wray, A. 2011. Critical reading and writing for postgraduates. 2nd ed.. SAGE Study Skills Series. London: Sage.
Wallace, M., Deem, R., O'Reilly, D. and Tomlinson, M. 2011. Developing leadership capacity in English secondary schools and universities: Global positioning and local mediation. British Journal of Educational Studies 59(1), pp. 21-40. (10.1080/00071005.2010.529415)
Wallace, M., O'Reilly, D., Morris, J. L. and Deem, R. 2011. Public service leaders as 'change agents' - for whom? Responses to leadership development provision in England. Public Management Review 13(1), pp. 65-93. (10.1080/14719037.2010.501614)
Wallace, M., Tomlinson, M. and O'Reilly, D. 2011. The mediation of acculturation: orchestrating school leadership development in England. Educational Management Administration and Leadership 39(3), pp. 261-282. (10.1177/1741143210393996)

2010

Wallace, M. and Tomlinson, M. 2010. Contextualizing leader dynamics: how public service leaders endeavour to build influence. Leadership 6(1), pp. 21-45. (10.1177/1742715009354238)
Wallace, M., O'Reilly, D., Reed, M. I. and Tomlinson, M. 2010. Developing public service leaders as change agents: the mediation of mobilization. Presented at: British Academy of Management (BAM) Conference 2010, Sheffield, UK, 14-16 September 2010.
Tomlinson, M., O'Reilly, D. and Wallace, M. 2010. Exploring leadership capitals: Public service transformation and changing capitals and credentials in leadership careers. Presented at: British Sociological Association (BSA) Annual Conference 2010, Glasgow, UK, 2010.
O'Reilly, D., Tomlinson, M. and Wallace, M. 2010. Changing capitals and credentials in leadership careers: exploring the evolution of leaderism in the transformation of UK public services. Presented at: British Sociological Association (BSA) Annual Conference, Glasgow, Scotland, 2010.

2009

Wallace, M. and Tomlinson, M. 2009. Acculturating school leaders as change agents for reform? Mediatory responses to leadership development in England. Presented at: American Educational Research Association 2009 Annual Meeting, San Diego, California, USA, 13-17 April 2009.
Wallace, M. and Deem, R. 2009. Global positioning and local mediation: The politics of leadership capacity in English schools and universities. Presented at: American Educational Research Association 2009 Annual Meeting, San Diego, California, USA, 13-17 April 2009.
Wallace, M., Tomlinson, M. and O'Reilly, D. 2009. Acculturating school leaders as change agents for reform? Mediatory responses to leadership development. Presented at: The Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association, San Diego, CA, April 2009.
Wallace, M. and Wray, A. 2009. Complexity theory and emergent change. Case study. In: Saunders, M., Lewis, P. and Thornhill, A. eds. Research Methods for Business Students. 5th ed.. Harlow: Prentice Hall, pp. 102-104.
Wallace, M., O'Reilly, D., Tomlinson, M. and Deem, R. 2009. Global positioning and local mediation: the politics of leadership capacity in English secondary schools and universities. Presented at: The American Educational Research Association Annual Meeting, San Diego, CA, 2009.

2008

Hoyle, E. and Wallace, M. 2008. Leadership for professional practice. In: Gewirtz, S. et al. eds. Changing teacher professionalism international trends, challenges and ways forward. Abingdon: Taylor & Francis/Routledge, pp. 204-214.
Hoyle, E. and Wallace, M. 2008. Two faces of organizational irony: endemic and pragmatic. Organization Studies 29(11), pp. 1427-1447. (10.1177/0170840607096383)
Hartley, J. et al. eds. 2008. Managing to improve public services. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Wallace, M. and Schneller, E. 2008. Orchestrating emergent change: the 'hospitalist' movement in US Healthcare. Public Administration 86(3), pp. 761-778. (10.1111/j.1467-9299.2008.00740.x)
Wallace, M. and Tomlinson, M. 2008. Contextualising leader dynamics: How public service leaders build influence. Presented at: British Academy of Management Conference (BAM) 2008, Harrogate, UK, 9-11 September 2008.
Wallace, M. 2008. Acculturating public service leaders as change agents? Mediatory responses to leadership development in England. Presented at: Twelfth International Research Symposium on Public Management (IRSPM XII), Brisbane, Australia, 26-28 March 2008.
Wallace, M. 2008. The dynamics of coping: maintaining normal public service while orchestrating complex change. Presented at: Twelfth Annual Conference of the International Research Society for Public Management (IRSPM XII), Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Australia, 26-28 March 2008.
Wallace, M. and Hoyle, E. 2008. Ambiguity and irony in policy implementation: The extreme case of a school merger. Presented at: Twelfth International Research Symposium on Public Management (IRSPM XII), Brisbane, Australia, 26-28 March 2008.
Wallace, M. 2008. The dynamics of coping: Maintaining normal public service while orchestrating complex change. Presented at: Twelfth International Research Symposium on Public Management (IRSPM XII), Brisbane, Australia, 26-28 March 2008.
Donaldson, C., Hartley, J., Skelcher, C. and Wallace, M. 2008. Conclusions: current themes and future directions. In: Donaldson, C. et al. eds. Managing to improve public services. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, pp. 281-288.
Wallace, M. 2008. Mike Wallace on critical reading and writing. In: Huff, A. S. ed. Designing research for publication. London: Sage, pp. 271-284.
Wallace, M. and Fertig, M. 2008. Orchestrating Complex and Programmatic Change in the Public Services. In: Hartley, J. et al. eds. Managing to Improve Public Services. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, pp. 257-276.
Wallace, M. 2008. Towards Effective Management of a Reformed Teaching Profession. In: Johnson, D. and Maclean, R. eds. Teaching: Professionalisation, Development and Leadership ( Festschrift for Professor Eric Hoyle). Dordrecht: Springer, pp. 181-198.

2007

Wallace, M. 2007. Coping with complex and programmatic public service change. In: Wallace, M., Fertig, M. and Schneller, E. eds. Managing Change in the Public Services. Oxford, UK: Wiley-Blackwell, pp. 13-35.
Wallace, M. and Schneller, E. 2007. The emergence of the US hospitalist movement: Orchestrating unity in diversity across a pluralistic healthcare system. Presented at: Annual Conference of the British Academy of Management, Warwick, UK, 11-13 September 2007.
Wallace, M. and Fertig, M. 2007. The orchestration of complex and programmatic public service change. Presented at: 11th International Research Symposium of the International Research Society for Public Management, Potsdam, Germany, 2-4 April 2007.
Wallace, M. and Hoyle, E. 2007. Educational Reform: An Ironic Perspective. Educational Management Administration and Leadership 35(1), pp. 9-25. (10.1177/1741143207071383)
Wallace, M. and Hoyle, E. E. 2007. An ironic perspective on public service change. In: Wallace, M., Fertig, M. and Schneller, E. eds. Managing Change in the Public Services. Wiley, pp. 75-94.
Wallace, M. and Fertig, M. 2007. Applying complexity theory to public service change: creating chaos out of order?. In: Wallace, M., Schneller, E. and Fertig, M. eds. Managing Change in the Public Services. Wiley, pp. 36-56.
Wallace, M. 2007. Prospects for understanding and improving complex public service change. In: Wallace, M., Fertig, M. and Schneller, E. eds. Managing Change in the Public Services. Malden, MA: Blackwell, pp. 228-234.
Schneller, E. and Wallace, M. 2007. Unsystematic responses to a chaotic service environment: shaping the division of labour in patient care. In: Wallace, M., Fertig, M. and Schneller, E. eds. Managing Change in the Public Services. Malden, MA: Blackwell, pp. 153-172.
Hoyle, E. and Wallace, M. 2007. Beyond Metaphors of Management: the Case for Metaphoric Re-description in Education. British Journal of Educational Studies 55(4), pp. 426-442. (10.1111/j.1467-8527.2007.00384.x)
Wallace, M. 2007. Educational Myth-Making with "Due Accuracy and Impartiality"? A Current Affairs TV Episode in the United Kingdom. Peabody Journal of Education 82(1), pp. 10-31. (10.1080/01619560709336535)

2006

Wallace, M., Fertig, M. and Schneller, E. eds. 2006. Managing change in the public services. Malden, MA: Blackwell.
Stoll, L., Bolam, R., McMahon, A., Wallace, M. and Thomas, S. 2006. Professional Learning Communities: A Review of the Literature. Journal of Educational Change 7(4), pp. 221-258. (10.1007/s10833-006-0001-8)
Jones, R. L. and Wallace, M. 2006. The coach as 'orchestrator': more realistically managing the complex coaching context. In: Jones, R. L. ed. The Sports Coach as Educator: Re-conceptualising Sports Coaching. London: Routledge, pp. 51-64.
Wallace, M. and Wray, A. 2006. Critical reading and writing for postgraduates. Sage Study Skills. London: Sage.
Stoll, L., Bolam, R., McMahon, A., Wallace, M., Hawkey, K. and Greenwood, A. 2006. Source materials for school leaders and other leaders of learning. Project Report. [Online]. Bristol: University of Bristol. Available at: http://www.educationscotland.gov.uk/images/Creating%20and%20Sustaining%20PLCs_tcm4-631034.pdf

2005

Hoyle, E. and Wallace, M. 2005. Educational leadership: ambiguity, professionals and managerialism. London: Sage.
Jones, R. L. and Wallace, M. 2005. Another bad day at the training ground: Coping with ambiguity in the coaching context. Sport, Education and Society 10(1), pp. 119-134. (10.1080/1357332052000308792)
Bolam, R., McMahon, A., Stoll, L., Thomas, S. and Wallace, M. 2005. Creating and sustaining effective professional learning communities. Bristol: University of Bristol. Available at: http://www.educationscotland.gov.uk/images/Creating%20and%20Sustaining%20PLCs_tcm4-631034.pdf

2004

Wallace, M. 2004. Orchestrating complex educational change: Local reorganisation of schools in England. Journal of Educational Change 5(1), pp. 57-78. (10.1023/B:JEDU.0000022844.50126.2f)

2003

Hoyle, E. and Wallace, M. 2003. Management and teaching: two cultures or one?. In: Sutherland, R., Claxton, G. and Pollard, A. eds. Learning and Teaching where Worldviews Meet. Stoke-on-Trent: Trentham Books, pp. 89-103.
Wallace, M. 2003. Managing the unmanageable? Coping with complex educational change. Educational Management Administration & Leadership 31(1), pp. 9-29. (10.1177/0263211X030311002)
Wallace, M. and Poulson, L. 2003. Critical reading for self-critical writing. In: Wallace, M. and Poulson, L. eds. Learning to Read Critically in Educational Leadership and Management. Learning to Read Critically series London: Sage, pp. 3-38.

2002

Wallace, M. and Huckman, L. 2002. Senior management teams: creating a team in their own image?. In: Kydd, L., Anderson, L. and Newton, W. eds. Leading People and Teams in Education. Leading and Managing for Effective Education London: Open University in association with P. Chapman Pub., pp. 229-244.
Wallace, M. and Pocklington, K. 2002. Managing complex educational change: large scale reorganisation of schools. London: Routledge.
Wallace, M. and Wray, A. 2002. The fall and rise of linguists in education policy-making: From "common sense" to common ground. Language Policy 1(1), pp. 75-98.
Wallace, M. 2002. Modelling Distributed Leadership and Management Effectiveness: Primary School Senior Management Teams in England and Wales. School Effectiveness and School Improvement 13(2), pp. 163-186. (10.1076/sesi.13.2.163.3433)
Muschamp, Y., Wallace, M. and Stoll, L. 2002. Realising the potential for evidence-informed policy and practice in primary schools. Education 3-13: International Journal of Primary, Elementary and Early Years Education 30(3), pp. 28-34. (10.1080/03004270285200321)

2001

Wallace, M. 2001. Sharing leadership of Schools through teamwork: a justifiable risk?. Educational Management Administration & Leadership 29(2), pp. 153-167. (10.1177/0263211X010292002)
Wallace, M. 2001. 'Really good ideas'?: developing evidence-informed policy and practice in educational leadership and management: a 'rejoinder' to Rosalind Levacic and Ron Glatter. Educational Management Administration & Leadership 29(1), pp. 27-34. (10.1177/0263211X010291002)
Wallace, M. and Rogers, G. 2001. Potentially Aspiring Headteachers in Small Welsh Primary Schools: Education professionals that policy makers forgot?. School Leadership & Management 21(4), pp. 441-461. (10.1080/13632430120108952)

Research interests

The complexity of public service change and coping capacity
National and regional leadership development interventions in public and government civil services
Managing multiple pressures on national park services
Implications of multiple public constituencies, value pluralism, and contested public spaces for the notion of 'Public Value'
An ironic perspective on organizational life and change
Public policy implementation and mediation
Development of social science research expertise

Building Capacity for Business Engagement with Impact (ESRC), 2011-2013. A research training project developing UK capacity for 'engaged' forms of business research with high practical impact potential
Enhancing Expert Thinking and Problem-solving: the Development of Insight and Perspective in Theory and Practice (ESRC), 2010-2014. A research-based training project developing provision for accelerating the development of social scientists' research expertise
Strategic Adviser for Researcher Development (ESRC), 2009-2012. An advisory appointment, supporting enhancement of the ESRC’s researcher development strategy
Developing Organization Leaders as Change Agents in the Public Services (ESRC), 2006-2009. A research project investigating the establishment of formal leadership development provision for school education, healthcare, and higher education in England.

A list of research funds received in the past fifteen years

Building Capacity for Business Engagement with Impact (ESRC), 2011-2013. £100,000
Enhancing Expert Thinking and Problem-solving: the Development of Insight and Perspective in Theory and Practice (ESRC), 2010-2014. £100,000
Strategic Adviser for Researcher Development (ESRC), 2009-2012. £417,000
Coordination of Management Research Capacity-Building, Advanced Institute of Management Research, Associate Directorship (ESRC), 2008-2011. £73,000
Strategic Expansion of Management Research Capacity: Managing the Training of Researchers as Trainers (ESRC), 2008-2010. £104,000
Developing Organization Leaders as Change Agents in the Public Services (ESRC), 2006-2009. £318,000 (pre fEC)
Building Management Research Capacity: Training Researchers as Trainers (ESRC), 2006-2009. £114,000.

PhD supervision research interests

Ambiguity and irony in organizational life and change
Management of complex change in the public services

Teaching commitments

'Developing Core Research Skills', core module, MSc in Social Science Research Methods
'Qualitative Research Methods, core module for Cardiff Business School students, MSc in Social Science Research Methods
'Advanced Issues in Management, Employment and Organizational Research', specialist pathway module, MSc in Social Science Research Methods

Qualifications

PhD, Centre for Applied Research in Education, University of East Anglia
Advanced Diploma in Education, Cambridge Institute of Education
MA, Cambridge University
Postgraduate Certificate in Education, Keswick Hall College of Education, Norwich
BA, Cambridge University, Social and Political Sciences

national park management

leadership development in public and government civil services

Current supervision

Mehreen Ashraf

Research student

Contact Details

WallaceAM@cardiff.ac.uk
+44 29208 75848
Aberconway Building, Room S38, Colum Road, Cathays, Cardiff, CF10 3EU

Research themes

Specialisms

public service change

New book on developing public service leaders

05 January 2023