Defines self-managed work teams as small groups of co-workers who share tasks and responsibilities of a well-defined segment of work. Discusses internal and external leadership, the role of the administrator, the coach, and the advisor, and organizational considerations. (JOW)

In the 1970s a new form of outdoor trip programming appeared. Known as "common adventure," its best known trait is the absence of a designated leader. In 1970, Gary Grimm, the University of Oregon's first outdoor program coordinator, laid out the key principles: self-directed learning, formation of groups of people with similar interests…

Self-directed work teams need coaches, not managers. The process of turning middle managers into coaches involves sensitivity, negotiation, and training in adjusting to the new role. (SK)

Self-directed teams, in which the people who do the work are responsible for managing it, are changing the practices and structures of many organizations. Self-managing teams are based on trust and empowerment, on treating workers as responsible adults. (SK)

Besides the question of the maximal effectiveness of various degrees and varieties of participation, predicting the success of participative decision making (PDM) approaches also involves an understanding of sources of variance (individual employees' characteristics, the cultural milieu, and the job context and level) for planning and instituting…

This paper examines the philosophical foundation of common adventure and proposes a definition and practical model of the concept. Sixteen values are listed that provide the philosophical foundation of common adventure. Based on this foundation, a possible definition of common adventure would be two or more individuals working cooperatively on an…

This book contains information targeted at executives, line managers, and human resource executives responsible for bringing the team vision to their organizations. A prologue defines teams and shows how they are developed. Part I (chapters 1-4) has the following purposes: introduces the team empowerment continuum, shows how a reshuffling of…

Collaborative learning, such as student-team learning or work-group learning, has become the focus of inservice workshops for teachers, a theme in professional journals, and the daily routine in an increasing number of classrooms. The women's study clubs in late 19th-century United States used a similar pedagogy. By the early 1900s, perhaps as…

This book argues that bureaucracy is inappropriate to the information age. It advocates replacing bureaucratic organization with the concept of the "intelligent organization," an organization that develops and engages the intelligence, business judgment, and responsibility of all its members. The successful organization of today builds freedom and…

The successful development of local leaders is the goal of leadership training and community development. Development involves defining and developing leadership. Although leader-centered leadership offers few chances of meeting the maintenance needs of the group as a whole, shared leadership allows the group to join in the decision-making…

Using the metaphor of a river to describe continuous and lifelong learning, this paper details an action research project aimed at developing effective learning environments in a large, distributed organization called Thiess Contractors Proprietary Limited, an Australian mining and construction company. Two major outcomes of the project are…

Franklin University, a private urban university with 4500 students located in Columbus, Ohio, completed the initial phase of a long-range, campus-wide technology plan. The plan creates a well supported and managed computing and communications infrastructure focusing on: user support systems; classrooms and laboratories; offices; outside access;…

Noting that collaboration can enhance children's ability to solve problems of increasing difficulty, this paper discusses the theory of collaborative talk in the classroom and how it can be applied. The first section of the paper introduces the notion of collaborative talk by describing a classroom setting and offering an excerpt of two children…

Describes student-directed class model at Hampshire College, Massachusetts. Describes students' role as planning syllabus, regulating commitment, facilitating sessions, and evaluating course. Describes teacher's role as balancing intervention with non-involvement. Recommends model as way of integrating experiential learning into mainstream…

This do-it-yourself booklet is designed to help those who want to facilitate a Learning Circle but who cannot attend a training workshop. The booklet explains what a learning circle is; the principles of a learning circle; the difference among learning circles, discussion groups, and structured classes; why the learning circle methodology should…