W. Edwards Deming has suggested 96% of organization performance is a function of the organization's structure. He contends only about 4% of an organization's performance is attributable to the people. This is a fundamental difference as most school leaders work with the basic assumption that 80% of a school's performance is related to staff and…

This study explains the role of information technologies in enabling organizations to successfully sense and manage opportunities and threats and achieve competitive advantage in turbulent environments. I use two approaches, a set-theoretic configurational theory approach and a variance theory approach, which are theoretically and methodologically…

E-learning development for enterprises is still in its infancy in that scholars are still working on identifying the critical success factors for e-learning in organizational contexts. This study presents a framework considering how organizational factors affect the quality and service of e-learning systems and how these factors influence…

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to examine organizational practice to investigate what insights could be gained to support and extend existing theory. Design/methodology/approach: Adopts a clinical approach, e.g. not a priori or an academic one where data are mangled to fit a theoretical stance. Findings: Data analysis reveals four…

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to survey the various measurement instruments of the learning organization on offer, leading to the adoption of a tool that was considered most suitable for gauging progress towards the learning organization in two sectors of the Lebanese economy, namely banking and information technology (IT).…

The concept of synergistics is presented as a model for organizational behavior. The writer contends that, within a systems approach to education, utilizing the idea of synergistics, which capitalizes on human resources as an input to the system, dramatic changes in education can take place. (Author/DN)

Evaluation of leadership is a central task in organizational consultation, but too often ignores the relationship between task definition and administrative structure, and the availability of scarce resources. A systems approach focuses on the reciprocal impact of individual psychodynamics and organizational characteristics on leadership…

Argues that despite good intentions, Ernest Boyer's "Scholarship Reconsidered" fails as an analysis of and recipe for change in the university because it ignores the broader socioeconomic context within which it functions. Another conceptual model for promoting real change in the university, using a systems approach, is offered, and…

This paper examines elements that support the creation of a Motivational Learning Environment. Is it possible to motivate students or should educators focus their energy on creating a motivational learning environment in which students become self-directed and self-motivated learners? The paper focuses on the topics of paradigms, purpose, people,…

This paper offers a new conceptual framework for thinking about school restructuring by examining the meaning and implications of restructuring as a school improvement strategy. Conceptualization efforts are organized around a set of fundamental questions: (1) What is the meaning of restructuring? (2) What makes restructuring necessary? (3) What…

After a decade of institutional turmoil, including a succession of four chief executive officers, efforts were undertaken at one educational institution to identify the cultural dynamics at play in the organization and reframe its approach to management. A brief survey was distributed to over 125 people on the college's management council asking…

This paper suggests that the traditional role of school counselor and that of the organizational specialist could be made to fit into a single job description that should be the emerging role of the counselor of tomorrow. Rather than viewing the role of organizational specialist as still another expectation, the authors see it as a natural fit…

This book describes how the principles of quality can be applied to education. Based on the work of W. Edwards Deming and Joseph M. Juran, the book outlines a systematic and practical approach to implementing quality in educational settings. It also describes how to encourage staff participation in quality initiatives. Total-quality schools are…

Purpose: To track changes in management paradigms from the bureaucratic to the post-bureaucratic to the learning organization model, highlighting core differentiating features of each paradigm as well as necessary ingredients for successful evolution. Design/methodology/approach: The article takes the form of a literature review and critical…