Knowledge is an important concept for individuals and organizations both as a power and source. Thus, knowledge management has become important subject for researchers. However, when people encounter problems, they usually try to produce solutions by utilizing their previous knowledge and experience. Such problem solving strategies are called…

The paper proposes a framework for collaborative knowledge production in order to enhance the amount and quality of knowledge in the field of organizational development (OD). We distinguish three types of actors that offer development services for work organizations: academic R&D units, training and educational institutes and management…

Describes an organization development program for educational systems and reviews an experiment conducted to assess its impact on elementary schools and their teaching staffs. Results indicate that the program was generally successful in establishing collective structures and increasing the perceived adequacy of collective decision processes in…

This paper uses a systems-based approach to identify problems associated with organizational learning in various subsystems in an organization. The functionalist model of the systems-based approach is first used to identify the relevant sub systems involved in organizational learning. This is followed by a consideration of key functional sub…

At this time, those responsible for the retarded are asked to be accountable for new dollars spent. In most cases, tools and techniques that can be used to develop accountability models have not been integrated into systems that serve the retarded. This presentation deals with philosophies, tools, and techniques that can be used to improve present…

A case study of quality circles in an appliance factory found that circle members and nonmembers obtained better working conditions by improving quality through the direct impact of their work on the company's market position. The study of the quality improvement process shows that workers seek more than psychological rewards for their…

In 1975-76 the Educational Improvement Center field tested a program to provide instructional leaders with knowledge and skills in planning and organizational development and to create a functioning network of instructional change agents. Participants were instructional leaders such as principals, superintendents, media specialists, and head…

A study of 20 effective colleges suggests that the perspective a college or university president brings to the job may dictate his or her ability to provide the leadership an institution needs at a particular time and place in its history, a critical factor in moving an institution forward. (Author/MSE)

This study investigated the effects of participation training, agreement, and decision importance on teachers' desires for participation in decision-making and their perceptions that participation would increase decision effectiveness. Results indicated that teachers who had received participation training preferred less participation in…

This paper describes a recent program of organizational awareness and development (OAD) initiated for a university program council. It describes the nature, purposes, and objectives of OAD and its role as a third party. It also provides an example of applied communication research, divided into four phases: (1) diagnostic, (2) feedback, (3)…

In developing a vision of schools capable of responding effectively to their challenges to change, futurists and reformers must solve two closely linked problems inherent in their positions. One problem is the risky business of predicting the future social and economic consequences of present trends; the other is the improbability of accurately…

Gareth Morgan's "Images of Organization" introduces readers to "holographic organization" and explores his concepts of connectivity and redundancy, simultaneous specialization and generalization, minimum critical specification, and self-organization. This paper attempts to put these concepts into operation successfully by using data, surveys,…

This case study explores the use of survey feedback--an organizational development technique--in an educational field setting. A version of survey feedback was used with an alternative high school to assist the staff in defining problems and in developing and implementing change strategies. Based on a perspective that focuses attention on the…

One of the original premises of the Documentation and Technical Assistance Project (DTA) was that the ideal school organization manifests self renewal and adaptability. This conception of organization has been sharpened through the years by the Oakland, California, branch of the DTA. In this paper, the aspects of self renewal and adaptability…

This document contains 21 papers: "Benchmarking Training--The Road to Continuous Improvement" (Bolin); "Systematic Mentoring: A Crucial Addition to Leadership Development" [abstract only] (Brennan, Pevoto); "Monkey Wrenches in the Team Clockwork" (Daman); "Multiculturalism: Curriculum and Practice" (Dean et al.); "Personal Computer Training…