Action research is disciplined inquiry to improve the quality of an organization and its performance. It is a method for improving practice in which one collects data to diagnose problems, searches for solutions, takes action, and monitors how well it works. Action research is characterized by groups of colleagues working together for systematic…

Questionnaire responses obtained from 64 percent of both the 216 members and the 14 directors of education advisory councils revealed membership characteristics, roles, and responsibilities, and obtained members' suggestions for strengthening the advisory council concept. The 16 statutory public advisory councils and committees serving the U.S.…

Lockheed Martin Corporation, which is comprised of approximately 72 operating units (some 200,000 employees) worldwide, has set up an intranet called the Lockheed Martin Network. On the network, the corporation released a set of corporate policies via web pages which must be implemented by each of its companies. Because each company varied on what…

This study examines the effectiveness of a course committee in the administration of a library use instruction program by analyzing the Committee on Library Instruction at Milne Library. The study describes the development and operation of the course committee, analyzes its position in the college's and library's organizational structures, and…

Forty-two studies were reviewed to find out how teachers felt about participative decision-making. The studies were systematized into three broad categories: (a) satisfaction and morale; (b) effectiveness and productivity; and (c) leadership and supervision. The findings of the studies reviewed seemed to indicate that, with few exceptions,…

Using a comparative case study method, community services programs at four community colleges in a multi-campus district in California were examined. The purpose of the study was to determine the relationships between three sets of organizational variables--organizational arrangements, program support, and planning procedures--and program…

This paper explores the thesis that a discrepancy exists in the treatment of physical disease over mental illness when care is provided by Health Maintenance Organizations (HMOs). Inconsistencies exist in the form of narrowed and abbreviated treatment models coupled with outmoded views towards mental illness. Strategies currently used by HMOs to…

The formal and informal administrative structures and channels of authority at Iowa Lakes Community College were investigated through a questionnaire administered to the college's board of directors, central administration, department chairpersons, student services staff, student senate, and faculty. The questionnaire asked respondents to identify…

An adapted version of the Bidwell-Kasarda model on school district organizational effectiveness was used to examine all 66 school districts in Louisiana in 1974-75. In an effort to remedy some of the problems in the Bidwell-Kasarda model, student retention rate was substituted for student achievement as the measure of district effectiveness, some…

This document describes and presents the materials gathered during a project to collect, preserve, and document the history of the Mountain Plains Adult Education Association (MPAEA). First, the procedures used to develop the MPAEA archives are traced. Presented next is an overview of the mission, development, and major activities of the MPAEA,…

This collection of papers presents the critical reflections on the management and planning of education of 18 senior officials working in 12 small island nations. The papers are a result of their participation in the Postgraduate Diploma in Educational Planning and Management in Small States program at the University of Malta. The book is divided…