In order to set the stage for this special issue, the prime concepts are defined: i.e. "chaos," "complexity," "learning" (individual and organizational), "learning organization," and "chaordic enterprise". Also, several chaos-and-complexity-related definitions of learning and learning organizations are provided. Next, the guest editors' main…

Purpose: The purpose of this research is to investigate the practices of the interim and current CEOs employed in managing a supportive environment conducive for learning as well as sustaining organizational change; and second, to describe the theory of practice guiding their efforts. Design/methodology/approach: An action science approach,…

A theoretical framework for the relationship between preparedness for occupational change, occupational self-efficacy, and leadership is presented. Preparedness for occupational change is defined as the wish to acquire higher task demands (i.e. greater complexity) in the sense that employees have thought about change but have not yet acted to seek…

Hoping to be viewed as an integral part of university decision-making, the University of Arizona's Human Resource Department decided to become a consulting organization rather than a transaction-based entity. The transformation was neither quick nor easy; however, by reinventing its purpose and approach, the Human Resource Department has emerged…

Late in 1996, Kalgoorlie College and the Western Australian School of Mines in Western Australia were merged to form an expanded campus of Curtin University, based in the state capital city of Perth. This paper uses a frame analytical approach to examining how differing and competing interpretations and commitments affected how the merger was…

Higher education has often acted as the nucleus of progressive thought, the instigator of societal transformation, and the center of cultural exchange and understanding. However, in conflict-ridden societies, higher-education systems have shown a proclivity towards the multiple personality syndrome: their ability to solidify, connect and unite…

This study aimed to investigate the transformational impact of introducing significant new learning technology in an Australian university over the time period 2007-2009. The exploration of this transformation is grounded in a social-ecological systems approach to the management of technology enhanced learning environments in the face of constant…

Organizational learning is a complex phenomenon, the collective nature of which makes it difficult to study and examine. Organizational stories are cultural forms that facilitate the sensemaking processes and capabilities of the individuals and teams that form the collective organization. This paper utilizes literature to suggest possible impacts…

In this article, the authors highlight the potential for rethinking approaches to community and social change interventions that draw on participatory action research at the organizational and community level. They distinguish problem-centric from opportunity-centric approaches to social change. Theory on social norms suggests that problem-centric…

This case study probes recent developments in a number of academic and non-academic aspects of a private research university in response to current globalization trends. Under the name of internationalization, university administrators and external firms are emerging as powerful decision-makers shaping academic content and even academic…

Schools are subject to changes from the inside and operate in a changing environment. Schools, as the most important individual-based organizations, have to handle changes, and they have to cope with them while educating students. As such, it is vital to consider changes in the educational system of Turkey and those of other countries and to…

As it enters its tenth decade, the American Association of University Professors (AAUP) struggles with its image. As the chief higher-education organization representing professors nationwide, the AAUP is best known for its widely cited statements on academic freedom and tenure. But in the last generation, even as the number of professors in the…

In recent years, a handful of education scholars have begun to cast a wider net for advice on how to engineer successful school turnarounds. The need for turnaround strategies that work is more timely than ever. Under the federal No Child Left Behind Act, the list of schools identified to be in need of help grows longer by the year, making…

The article describes institutional change in the Spanish higher education system over the past two decades. It singles out four variables in explaining this change: (i) demography, (ii) economic environment (the so-called knowledge society), (iii) the role and interests of academics and politicians, and (iv) the supranational stimulus to converge…

The third Electronic Resources & Libraries (ER&L) conference gathered at Georgia Institute of Technology's Global Learning and Conference Center in Atlanta, Georgia, March 18-21, 2008. Over 360 attendees, from six countries and from 80% of the United States, represented their libraries and organizations resulting in a diverse and…