M.Ed. / Although education remains a key for preparing South Africa to be part of the competitive global world, school managers continue to threaten educator appraisal that is undoubtedly an important aspect towards the realization of schools' effectiveness and efficiency. The researcher investigated how management styles impact on the developmental appraisal system in schools. The study was conducted in four selected schools in the Johannesburg North district in Gauteng and the study was conducted through the use of ethnographic interviews and observations. While the Department of Education and the unions advocated an appraisal system that aims at improving teaching and learning experience through educator development, research findings suggest that schools are complex organizations, some management styles contribute to the dismal failure of the appraisal system and the appraisal system will in practice waste educators' valuable time for teaching.