In August 2012, I was awarded a Fulbright grant to travel to Malawi, one of the poorest countries in Africa. One critical education issue is that the government has opened its education sector to the donor community. Outside donors identify and define the educational needs of the country and often impose solutions with minimum stakeholder input;…

"Decisions Matter" is an innovative guide designed to help novice student affairs professionals develop effective decision-making skills. Written by seasoned student affairs educators and practitioners, this book contains a systematic method for solving a wide range of complex problems. In this exceptional instructional tool, the authors…

"Leadership for Recreation, Parks and Leisure Services" presents new perspectives on the importance of leadership in the profession. Integrating theory with practice, the book provides foundational perspectives in the study of leadership at all levels--direct service, supervisory, managerial and community/civic--in recreation, parks and…

The study attempts to specify and verify the decisionmaking processes utilized by groups when faced with a multistage rating task. It is also designed to upgrade group efficacy by introducing some procedural guidelines which group members are asked to follow in resolving differences. This "structured" intervention encourages members to…

School leaders are increasingly called upon to pursue meaningful partnerships with families and community groups, yet many leaders are unprepared to meet the challenges of partnerships, to cross cultural boundaries, or to be accountable to the community. Alliances are needed among educators, families, and community groups that value relationship…

This two-volume work is intended to help readers develop powerful new ways of thinking about organizational principles, and apply them to policy-making and management in colleges and universities. The book is written with two audiences in mind: administrative and faculty leaders in institutions of higher learning, and students (both doctoral and…

This book is designed to provide practical guidance to persons acting as facilitators of community and decision-making groups. Examples, scenarios, real situations, and (where appropriate) research results are incorporated to illustrate all major points. In the introductory section, facilitation is discussed in a problem-solving and…

In today's workplace, organizations are moving from top-down, hierarchical decision making to team decisions based on consensus. This guide offers advice on setting the stage for team consensus to grow and on establishing an environment that fosters consensus. Topics of the four sections, the components of full consensus, are: (1) "Purposeful…

This booklet contains frequently asked questions--and their answers--about "quality circles," a factory program first introduced in Japan in which workers participate voluntarily in quality control and management decisions through various means of communication. Following an introductory chapter, the remainder of the booklet answers…

This training manual provides information on the operation and function of "quality circles," a factory program introduced in Japan in which workers participate voluntarily in quality control and management decisions through various means of communication. Following an introduction, the manual presents a series of frequently asked…

This book presents a logical problem-solving process and contains many tools and techniques to help groups identify, analyze, and solve problems successfully. It is meant to be used by anyone engaged in this activity whether they be facilitators, leaders, or members of problem-solving groups, or managers who have an interest in the problem-solving…

A professor and an administrator joined forces to provide answers to two basic questions: What is needs assessment, and how does one do it? Discussion of the conceptual framework of needs assessment is based on experiences in the design and implementation of needs assessments in many states at levels ranging from state departments of education to…

The concept of team management is perhaps one of the most widely endorsed concepts in school administration today. Shifts in power, pressures on individual administrators, and the desire for organizational improvement have all led educational administrators to look to the management team as a means of solving their problems. This monograph…

Site-based management is a concept whose time has come. This book was designed to introduce the concept of teaming, elaborate the decision-making process, and describe the skills and processes needed for a variety of decision-making situations. Chapter 1 introduces the concept of teaming and discusses the decision-making process in depth. Chapters…

This book is a group leader's curriculum guide to help students build positive interpersonal relationships through group activities. Chapter 1 is designed to help the reader become a successful group leader. Included are discussions on group structure, effective group leadership skills, hints on dealing with potential problem areas, processing and…