Critiques the literature on learning organizations, arguing that it does not indicate how organizational learning relates to business performance or strategic realignment. Asserts that the key characteristic of the learning organization is creation and use of personal and corporate competencies. (SK)

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to describe fundamental concepts and theoretical challenges with regard to systems, and to build on these in proposing new theoretical frameworks relevant to learning, for example in so-called learning organizations. Design/methodology/approach: The paper focuses on some crucial fundamental aspects introduced…

The turbulent business environment requires business expertise from ever-larger personnel groups. The required business know-how is a combination of knowledge and several different skills, and it should provide the learners with an overall view of the functioning of a business organization as a whole. Moreover, while work is increasingly becoming…

Creating competence has become a major issue in organizations. Various authors contend that competency management has the potential of integrating organizational strategy, human-resource instruments, and human-resource development; that competency development can lead to performance improvement; and that it can help Human Resource Development…

Warren Bennis discusses the field of organization development and its needs, applications, unresolved problems, and future. (LRA)

Reviews and organizes modern leadership theories. Notes the research supporting the main thesis of contingency theory and that effective leadership style is contingent upon situational factors. Characteristics of management training based on the contingency approach are identified. (Author/MLF)

Emphasizes the importance of recognizing and managing the stress produced by organizational development and encourages practitioners to acknowledge stress management as an important organizational development skill. (LRA)

Stating that management training programs usually contribute little to organization results because they focus on improving personal characteristics, the authors describe a training and development strategy and training design to produce performance-improvement results. Programs using this strategy are described. (MF)

Measured the impact of a six-month organization development (OD) effort with a top management group in a large state government organization. The data demonstrated that OD in the public sector can result in mild to moderate improvement in role clarity, collaboration, and communication effectiveness among participants. (Author)

This book is intended to give readers an observational scheme for understanding the process of organizational knowledge development at the individual and social levels. Chapter 1 examines devising a concept of organizational knowledge. In chapter 2, the place of epistemology within philosophy is discussed along with organizational, cognitivist,…

Describes a positive seven-step process for initiating a whole organization development (WOD) effort. Steps include clarification of whole organization objectives, data gathering, diagnosis, prescribing interventions, commitment, implementation, and progress review. (CSS)

Asserts that although popular and academic literature often distinguish leadership from management, the complex nature of the chair position requires competency in both areas. Chairs must not only fill administrative tasks, but they must also empower colleagues. Discusses how leadership theories can assist midlevel managers in becoming managerial…

A review of the theoretical and empirical literature was conducted to identify, in a systems framework, organizational processes and dimensions associated with effective functioning. Potential methodologies for use in controlled organizational experimentation were also explored. Literature was reviewed according to an empirically derived…

This is a review of work done in the past twenty years with the Control Graph, including the evolution of Control-Graph studies, its relationship to other perspectives of organizations, and an overview of study findings. (Author)

In March, 1977, the Vancouver, British Columbia, Board of Trustees responded to a need for administrative assistance in its four largest secondary schools by appointing Vice-Principal Interns in two schools, a Vice-Principal for Curriculum in a third school, and a School Business Assistant in the fourth. These two-year appointments were evaluated…