The complexity of the budgetary process, in which so many independent bodies sequentially or simultaneously review the higher education budgets, results in complicated interorganizational relationships and apparent overlap or duplication of roles. Despite disagreement and lack of theory, budget professionals are moving slowly and pragmatically…

This study was concerned with the relationship between (1) educational technology employed by a high school English department and the structure of that work group, and (2) the technological-structural congruence and teacher perceptions of organizational effectiveness. It was suggested that the research findings would be useful for inducing…

Recommends considering a database as discretionary information available to organizational members. Introduces a conceptual framework to propose that reduced contribution rates occur in the following situations: (1) greater contribution costs, (2) larger groups of participants, (3) lower values of information to participants, and (4) greater…

Asserts that textbook advice regarding buffers and negative messages is simplistic and frequently wrong, and analyses 22 job-refusal letters and their effectiveness. Claims that recent research on cognitive complexity and social perspective-taking suggests the need for more sophisticated audience analysis protocols for dealing with the negative…

Points out that the Challenger tragedy compromised NASA's status as a legitimate institution. Evaluates actions taken to repair legitimacy--open hearings of the Rogers Commission, scapegoating of executives, and limiting performance goals. Suggests that NASA's long-term legitimacy will require new and dramatic performance goals. (NKA)

Reasons for traditional faculty development programs' neglect of middle-aged, disillusioned faculty are explored. A plan is presented for involving colleagues, including department chairpersons, in efforts to reestablish communication and reinvolve these faculty in meaningful activities and rewards. (MSE)

The University of Massachusetts/Boston's program of short- and long-term orientation, organizational communication, career development, and professional recognition for administrative support staff is described. (MSE)

A wide variety of individual and contextual factors, within and outside institutional control, can affect faculty research performance. These collective factors, the research culture, include policies and practices affecting recruitment, workload, evaluation, collegial communication, leadership, and structure. (MSE)

Every student at one high school in Illinois is considered to be a winner. A program is described that motivates teachers to motivate students to achieve. The program features support and communication from administration and department heads through an ongoing schoolwide publicity campaign emphasizing motivational themes. (TE)

Electronic mail is becoming more and more common in contemporary organizations. Despite the technological sophistication of e-mail, questions remain regarding the value of the innovation for organizations. The assumption that the presence of e-mail, in and of itself, obviates internal communication problems is inaccurate and problematic. This…

Organizational learning is a strong candidate to replace reengineering as the next intellectual bastion on the continuously twisting road to increased organizational productivity. However, there is a paucity of research on how transferring intellectual materials via groupware products fosters organizational learning. This book provides a first…

A community college instructor has incorporated the philosophy of Blaise Pascal into a course on organizational communication by providing community college students with a pragmatic small group exercise that requires them to see what communication skills are necessary to succeed within business and the community. This paper discusses how…

The role of professional and local-personal networks as a source of knowledge development in the new knowledge-based economy was examined in a 15-month study that focuses on people working in the multimedia industry in Montreal, Quebec. The study focused on the modes of exchange and learning, collaborative work, and management and development of…

Executive Order 11873 was introduced in June 1965 by President Lyndon B. Johnson in a speech at Howard University. This order began the first of the federal government's affirmative action programs. Since that time, these programs have become a major topic among not only government officials at all levels of government but the general population…

A committee was established in a university medical center to address socioemotional aspects of medical training and to enhance the learning environment. Problem areas identified for program development included poor communication, stress on self and relationships, need for advocacy, and lack of support for house staff members. (MSE)