Discusses aspects of group meetings including planning for chairing; possible formats for organizing sessions and facilitating group discussion and decision efforts; and alternative procedures for group problem-solving. Presents an example of how these formats and procedures can be used conjointly. (JMF)

Introduces an example project to describe a knowledge creation process and a practical mechanism for capturing and disseminating knowledge in a small working group. Describes the needs analysis, design process, and development process. (DDR)

Intended as a guide for educators in shared decision-making, this report summarizes the structures, procedures, and activities of local action teams in 49 schools involved in the National Institute of Education's Research and Development Utilization (RDU) program. Local action teams in the RDU program consisted of formal groups of teachers and…

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…

Research of 25 Michigan elementary and secondary public schools is used to test a model relating organizations' problem-solving adequacy to their available inputs or resources and to the appropriateness of their structures. Problems that all organizations must solve, to avoid disorganization or entropy, include (1) getting inputs and producing…