Research around learning community models often shows a structured and defined model to follow with the underlying assumption being if the steps are followed, the results will come. The model we offer in this paper is rather counter-cultural as it was not a specific process or practice we followed; rather, we found ourselves in a highly engaging,…

Maybe you heard the line "managing programmers is like herding cats", and if you consider there is some truth behind this, then you should, perhaps, think how it is to teach people to perform this job. As we know from the research literature, there is no such thing as a consensus about the most suitable teaching method of a software…

To prepare graduates for today's work environment, they must be immersed in positive (and perhaps negative) small group experiences in their courses, which will in turn provide a basic understanding of how teams form and develop over time. In the fall of 2009, we started exploring how software development teams form and interact in a computer…

We report a within-teams experiment testing the effects of fit between team structure and regulatory task demands on task performance and satisfaction through average team member positive affect and helping behaviors. We used a completely crossed repeated-observations design in which 21 teams enacted 2 tasks with different regulatory focus…

This is an exploratory study of methods for the preparation of computer curriculum materials. It deals with courseware development procedures for the PLATO IV computer-based education system, and draws on interviews with over 100 persons engaged in courseware production. The report presents a five stage model of development: (1) planning, (2)…

The performance of 43 library work groups was assessed by means of supervisor's ratings. Characteristics of the groups' tasks, membership, leadership, structure, and process were measured by averaging their members' responses to factor of the Work Group Survey. The implications for both organization theorists and change agents are discussed.…

J. Hage and F. Hull (1981) developed a typology of organizations based on two major dimensions--scale and complexity. The typology delineates four types of organizations: Type 1, "traditional" organizations, typically small-scale structures with low complexity; Type 2, "mechanical" organizations that are large scale, low complexity structures…

A study examined the relationships between (1) employee job performance and organizational relationships, (2) employee job performance and communication processes, (3) organizational relationships and communication processes, and (4) task characteristics and structural characteristics. Data were gathered from approximately 200 employees of a state…

Examines which leadership model provides a better explanation of the relationship between leadership behavior and group outcomes--the group leadership influence model or the leaderless group discussion model. Discusses implications for group leadership from a leaderless group discussion perspective based on the findings of a laboratory descriptive…

A study of coordination modes in work group communication was conducted to evaluate and expand leadership contingency models. A total of 106 people in classes and workshops on organizational communication completed seven questionnaires resulting in nine measures of six independent variables representing the following contingency factors from…

Four models are developed to provide a conceptual basis for a curvilinear relation between intelligence and an individual's influence over group members. The models deal with influence and percentile placement in intelligence, comprehension by potential followers, vulnerability to rival intellects, and correlation between mean group IQ and the…

This study surveyed local interagency coordinating councils (LICCs) required under Part H of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act concerning: the composition of council membership; information regarding frequency of meetings, membership turnover, and other demographic characteristics of the groups; and how well the LICCs are…

This consultation was structured to provide a forum for participants to grapple with issues surrounding ethnic group identity, ethnic studies, intergroup conflict, and essential new roles for schools, colleges and community groups; and to chart new courses of action for New Jersey. The document includes a brief summary of the program. The morning…