A five-year study of corporate approaches to learning and change shows too little attention has been paid to individual feelings and concerns. More reflective thinking and holistic, sensitive, people-centered approaches to management are needed. The potential of shared learning and learning technology needs to be better understood. (SK)

Six experts respond to a case study of a small business in transition by explaining their vision of leadership for organizing a small business and managing employees. (SK)

Addresses the following myths: manufacturers are all large businesses; services are the wave of the future; all manufacturers use new technologies; manufacturing jobs are low skill; manufacturing is unionized; manufacturers are resistant to change and care only about production. Suggests that advisors can help small businesses by serving as a…

Reasons for frustrations surrounding needs assessment in organizations are examined. Action strategies are paired with three of the root causes of obstacles to effective assessment: (1) flawed needs assessments; (2) no organizational support; and (3) inadequate expertise assigned to the effort. A sidebar presents four possible causes linked to…

Discusses benefits of project monitoring in a Canadian international aid project to assist the Brazilian National Industrial Learning Service with creating two technical colleges. Project monitoring focuses on three dimensions: inputs, outputs, and outcomes. Opportunities for intervention and planning input are greater and more frequent than…

Discusses need for school principals to strike a balance between continuity and change, dependence and independence, individualism and community, and homogeneity and heterogeneity. Provides key findings from Australian Leadership and Organizational Learning and Student Outcomes research project. Finds, for example, that transformational leadership…

Total Quality Management is a system for creating organizationwide participation in planning and implementing a continuous improvement process exceeding customer expectations. It is built on the assumption that 90 percent of problems are a result of process, not employees. Implementation at Oregon State University has nine phases. (MSE)

Recognizes the golden anniversary of the Association for Counselor Education and Supervision (ACES) and presents the statements of 15 past presidents of the association. Presidential leaders briefly review the association's past and suggest opportunities to help create a promising future for ACES. Outlines nine challenges which confront members of…

Explains the major features of curriculum alignment (the determination of the congruence between the written curriculum and work performance). Relates the principles of alignment to the adult learning environment and curriculum management. (DMM)

Teaching continuously requires more specialization and technical skills of teachers. The role of the paraprofessional in the school should be upgraded structurally and functionally to give teachers much needed assistance and free them from the burden of too many demands on their time. (JD)

Argues that community colleges are not completely institutionalized and are therefore more subject to the influence of external forces than other postsecondary institutions. Considers three models of environmental effects on organizations: the adaptation, selection/evolutionary, and institutional models. (DMM)

The strategic but flexible approach adopted by the South Australian College of Advanced Education in developing a long-range institutional plan is outlined. The approach was characterized by a five-stage process and the use of a seminar of senior college managers to generate commitment, build consensus, and clarify procedures. (MSE)

Effectiveness of organizational training and development (T&D) hinges on three factors: (1) relationship of T&D to the organizational culture; (2) management practices that cause training to flourish or fail; and (3) extent of awareness that T&D should be integrated into strategic planning processes. (SK)

To support systemic restructuring, many organizations must redesign their internal structures, operations, and relationships with district and school clients. The article recommends systemic restructuring methods, identifying implications for helping organizations related to the nature of relationships formed with district and school clients and…

Describes differences between total quality management and self-directed teams in terms of job design, decision making, flexibility, supervision, labor relations, quality, customers, and training. Offers suggestions for which method to choose when. (SK)