Purpose: The aim of this paper is to investigate the extent to which espoused values among police managers in the Norwegian police force are compatible with those of a learning organization. Design/methodology/approach: A questionnaire was developed and administered to police managers in two police districts in Norway. A set of values was…

Defines return on investment (ROI); describes the individual articles included in this special section of the journal which focuses on the process of ROI in organizations. Together, this collection of articles displays a wide variety of views about the necessity for ROI and the quality and quantity of its use. (AEF)

Two organization development consultants describe and evaluate the two basic consulting methods, the process-consultation model and the doctor-patient model, and provide "readiness" criteria checklists for both the client and patient models. They state that each consulting approach has its place, depending on situational factors. (MF)

The argument underlying the ongoing paradigm shift from logical-positivism to constructionism is briefly outlined. A model of evaluation planning, implementation, and management (the P-I-M model) is then presented, which assumes a complementarity between the two paradigms. The P-I-M Model includes three components of educational evaluation: a…

This paper raises the issue of research methodology for intellectual capital and other types of management research by focusing on the dilemma of rigour versus relevance. The more traditional explanatory approach to research often leads to rigorous results that are not of much help to solve practical problems. This paper describes an alternative…

Growing involvement of counselors in organizational development is addressed by describing the application of a solution-oriented family therapy approach to conflict resolution in a work system. Outlines the system's storying of the problem, development of new meanings and identification of solutions. Key concepts in this postmodern approach are…

The Blue Ribbon Committee at Utah State University (USU) was charged with the study of information systems, telecommunications, and library services at the university, and challenged to look for ways to better manage, coordinate, and capitalize on both opportunity and investment in telecommunication and information technology and resources. The…

This document contains three papers from a symposium on standards and certification in human resource development (HRD). "Implementing Management Standards in the UK" (Jonathan Winterton, Ruth Winterton) reports on a study that explored the implementation of management standards in 16 organizations and identified 36 key themes and…