Provides a basic definition of the systems approach and explains the school as an open social-technical system composed of five subsystems--goals and values, technical, psychosocial, structural, and managerial. Contrasts the systems approach with earlier management theories that emphasized particular subsystems and ignored others. (JHZ)

Guidelines to facilitate the assessment and development of educational leadership decision-making skills are presented in this paper. Included are a review of traditional and contemporary concepts of the decision-making process, identification of appropriate techniques, and an analysis of four contemporary decision-making models by Thompson,…

This monograph analyzes the philosophical foundations of research into the administration of educational organizations. The first part reviews past debates about the philosophical foundations of research in educational administration, focusing on three contending schools of thought: the empiricists, the phenomenologists, and the critical…

Loose coupling implies the tying together of subsystems in such a fashion that neither can do without the other but neither has much control over the other. The idea of loose coupling, introduced by Karl Weick, is examined in relation to educational administration and organizational analysis in general. The concept employs both a particular theory…

This paper defines problems of school officials in dealing with the new information society, and suggests a planning framework applicable to the design of school and district microcomputer systems. Educators' problems in addressing the demands and opportunities of the emergent information society include inadequate comprehension of a major shift…

This essay provides commentary on the place of mathematics in the study and practice of educational administration. The incidence of mathematical topics in the writing of the field is explored, and their isolation from each other and from the body of literature is pointed out. Possible areas of synthesis are sought from the traditional use of…

This book attempts to link academic theory and research on educational practices and organizational administration to classroom practices. Written within the framework of the social and behavioral sciences, it describes and critiques concepts, analytical tools, case material, and organizational theory and behavior from the public, business, and…

This manual, based on two years of research in Great Britain, is intended to assist those who are involved in the education of adults. In particular, it is intended to persuade adult educators to examine the relationships between policies and practice and thereby enhance the effectiveness of educational provision. The first section of the manual…

Value chain analysis can gauge, analyze, and predict organization effects to control cost in light of achieving strategic organization objectives of distance education. Value chain analysis enables organizations to accomplish their goal or mission through cost effectiveness or differentiation. The value chain activity structure in a distance…

This report briefly introduces the ideas of six influential individuals in the field of quality control, and relates these concepts to current educational innovations. Quality is defined by Philip B. Crosby as the result of a culture of relationships within an organization. W. Edwards Deming espouses intrinsic motivation for all employees,…

A coauthor of a book on the history of thought and practice in educational administration reflects on issues raised during the writing of the book as follows: (1) Categories of administrative thought are difficult to establish. Two categories were derived from Richard Scott's rational systems approach--scientific management and bureaucracy. The…

This monograph discusses Thomas Greenfield's writings and those of his two major detractors, Daniel Griffiths and Donald J. Willower. For nearly a decade Greenfield has attacked traditional theories of educational administration and argued for the centrality of mind in the construction of organizational and administrative reality. An introductory…

Describes a cost allocation procedure developed at the University of Texas at Austin for its School of Nursing to project costs for long-range budget planning. Eleven tables illustrate the use of this costing/budgeting/resource allocation methodology, a potentially effective way to justify funding increases. (MF)

Intended for use by graduate students in educational administration and supervision as well as by practicing school administrators, this book is a guide to the most effective practices surrounding the school principalship. Ideas in the book reflect current views of good management, including systems approaches, participative and collaborative…

This guide is designed as an aid for the adult education administrator in the pursuit of continuous excellence and quality improvement in adult education programs in Texas. The Acknowledgments section provides an introduction, background, history, and overview of the adult education National Reporting System (NRS); overview of the NRS measures and…