Examines the nature and impact of boundaries and boundary management in interpersonal skills training (IST). States that the management trainer should be aware of the boundaries he is establishing with trainees and colleagues, and the possible consequences, and the boundaries others are establishing and his reactions to them. (NRJ)

Successful team building depends on the presence of four fundamental concepts of group behavior: (1) shared knowledge, vocabulary, and level of sophistication; (2) shared territory; (3) similar status; and (4) shared access to communications networks. (SK)

Compares two contrasting perspectives of social contagion processes (structural equivalence and cohesion) associated with the organizational outcome variables of commitment and role ambiguity in organizations. Finds that structural equivalence was more associated with role ambiguity and that commitment was more associated with cohesion. (MS)

Group structure is one of the important mediators between individual input and group output. The present study examines the effect of group structure on the following dependent variables: (1) change in the group member's evaluation of items evaluated before group interaction, (2) change in his subjective evaluation model as a consequence of group…

This paper contains a theoretical analysis and empirical study that support the major premise of Robert Dubin's minimal-linkage construct-that restricting communication links increases organizational stability. The theoretical analysis shows that fewer communication links are associated with less uncertainty, more redundancy, and greater…

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…

This review of research literature from 1963 to 1972 discusses implications of research for analysis of communication behavior in work organizations. The review is organized into four sections: contributions from organizational theory; research related to the interpersonal milieu; research related to the organizational milieu; and an examination…

This packet contains materials, process guidelines, discussion questions, and suggestions that serve as a guide for a 3-hour training session on the topic of organizational culture for groups of from 7 to 21 (or more) adults. During the training session, participants simulate organizational behaviors following three different sets of cultural…

This report, the third annual study of primary program implementation, outlines case study observations of learning groups and of teachers relations to groups. The learning atmosphere of a learning group is determined by presence of conducive or disruptive elements, input of children, and relation of the group to the teacher, in addition to good…

A preliminary study investigating the perceptions of intergroup relations in the bargaining process supports Kenneth Burke's concepts of order and mystery. Questionnaires, interviews, and direct observations of teachers' and school boards' teams involved in contract negotiations show that people closest to the bargaining saw more order in the…

Efforts to change the role of principals over the past 30 years typically reflect a leader-centrist perspective of schools illustrated by the metaphors of a marching band or the slightly less hierarchical classical orchestra. In these conceptual systems, policy (score) is generated (composed) by policymaking bodies (composers) with principals…

This research summary reports on a 4-month long study of 30 children, ages 10-13, who live at the elementary boarding school on the island of 'Ua Pou, Marquesas Island, French Polynesia. Of the sample of 15 boys and 15 girls, 20 of the children are from a single small valley. Follow-up studies also were done of the families of these children. The…

The School Personnel Utilization Project developed a series of modules to assist personnel in building the necessary skills for the development of organizational change strategies and collaborative, collegial educational problem solving capabilities. This module focuses on the dynamics of organizational change and the interpersonal skills…