Following an 11-month period of study, planning, and pilot testing, a project was undertaken at Central Piedmont Community College (CPCC) to implement quality circles, i.e., small groups of employees doing similar work who voluntarily meet on a regular basis to set goals, identify and analyze problems, find solutions, and cooperate with management…

This curriculum package is based upon the use of contracts which allow the student to make some choices and receive immediate, positive reinforcement. Mathematics and language arts are individualized using teacher-made and commercial materials. Activities described present social science, science, health, music, language arts, and safety to…

The study described in this report investigated the effects of two context variables on small-group learning--namely, group size and group gender composition--within an adult learning framework. In the study, the "revolving circle" method was innovated. In this design, one group member is the center of the cooperative circle and all…

The space shuttle simulation, Totally Enclosed Modular Environment (TEME), was developed as a means for students to study group dynamics and how people adapt to their environment. This paper highlights features of this project. Topics reviewed include: (1) its historical development (tracing its origins as a year-long ecology course to current…

Examining the relationships among social motivations, media use, and levels of political knowledge, a study (1) measured the unique contribution of social motivations beyond simple exposure and individual motivations, (2) tested for interactions between social and individual motivations and public affairs exposure, and (3) examined the interactive…

This manual describes the basis for a working relationship between institutions of higher education, particularly a continuing education office, and citizen groups engaged in community action. The guide is based on discussions that took place during four meetings involving approximately 20 administrators of higher education and 10 citizen group…

Noting that a distinction can be made between the different types of problems faced by managers in today's organizations, and that managers increasingly face problems of a more complex nature, this paper suggests that an interactive management approach is best for solving complicated problems. Following an introduction that distinguishes between…

This paper reviews some key ideas that have emerged from recent research into administrative practices in education and their relationship to organizational culture. "Culture" is defined as a system of knowledge and conceptions that members of an organization use for giving meaning to and coping with problems that they experience. The…

This workshop presenter's guide is intended for use by administrators in training one another in the Project Leadership program developed by the Association of California School Administrators (ACSA). The purposes of the guide are: to provide administrators with a framework for deciding when others (particularly subordinates) should participate in…

Within the Partnership for Rural Improvement (PRI), community consultants operate within three complex sets of relationships: client groups, the organizational structure of PRI, and the local operational base. Community consultants are responsible for developing and facilitating rural development and for providing assistance in community and…

Between March 1983 and January 1984, the Hispanic Research Center conducted exploratory field research in a South Bronx (New York City) neighborhood in order to develop hypotheses and collect data which could be used in research relevant to the avoidance of delinquency by male Puerto Ricans considered at risk. The research highlighted the…

A key to the group dynamics process in teleconferencing is interaction and the use of interactive technologies. The user of teleconferencing for instruction has to accept several underlying assumptions: lecture is not necessarily sound instruction, especially for adults; teleconferencing is easy; and teleconferences require planning. Benefits are…

To investigate the influence of group settings on the receiver's perception of an inducement to rhetorical transactions, 45 undergraduates in a basic speech communication course were asked to rank from most important to least important a group of items that might help survivors of an arctic plane crash. After completing individual rankings,…

An investigation was made of the relationships among teachers' stages of development; their perceptions of school and classroom problems; and their reasons for participating in a collaborative action research project. On the basis of observations, logs, interviews, and introductory questionnaire data, life age/cycle profiles of each of 10 middle…

Due to their increasing complexity, modern organizations require more effective integrating mechanisms. The conference, which can be a very positive thing for an organization as it provides rewards for members while performing a crucial communication function for the whole, is one possible mechanism. Communication is not only an inherent part of…