Responses from 367 small businesses were used to formulate a four-step process audit: (1) business owner questionnaire; (2) interviews with owners and key personnel; (3) intensive observation; and (4) presentation of a detailed report. The process identifies areas of effectiveness/success and areas needing immediate or long-term action. (SK)

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)

Examines organizational symbolism that is reflected in corporate discourse. Describes types of symbols and the functions symbols serve over time. Demonstrates how symbolic analysis can provide a better understanding of, and make contributions to, existing research on organizational concepts such as organizational change, leadership, and…

Three key principles for ensuring employee support of organizational change are management empathy with subordinates, effective communication, and participative management. (SK)

Using a British community college program as an example, this article describes how change may occur in loosely coupled systems. According to Weick, change in loosely coupled systems is continuous, small-scale, improvisational, accommodative, and local. If major change is necessary, tighter coupling may be achieved through training contracts,…

Chaos theory, which suggests chaotic looking behavior may manifest order in patterns visible from a distance and emphasizes dynamics of connection and bonds, has useful applications in understanding dynamic organization such as the university, which requires constant change and diversity. It can provide leaders with philosophy of practical…

Teams avoid pitfalls of hierarchies but have their own drawbacks related to five categories: leadership, accountability, the nature of the task, multiskilling, and human imperfection. Instead of being viewed as a panacea, teams should be recognized as another way of organizing human beings to get the job done. (JOW)

Used correctly, teams can increase productivity, raise morale, and spur innovation. Tips for effective teams include using the right team to do the right job, creating a hierarchy of teams, building an atmosphere of trust, and addressing interpersonal issues. (SK)

Responses from 85 of 250 deans/directors of nontraditional higher education programs identified current challenges: organizational restructuring, mainstreaming of adult students, lack of adult financial aid, long-term program funding. Nontraditional education should be represented not as an alternative but as a fundamental component of higher…

Presents the fundamentals of the Americans with Disabilities Act for university continuing education in terms of determining disability, physical accessibility, and limitations on accommodation. Recommends evaluation of employment policies, student programs and services, and facilities. (SK)

The Outcomes Driven Developmental Model, the centerpiece of the National Center for Outcome Based Education, is the only system of total organizational change operating in schools today. The National Center is committed to educational success for every child through creating school environments empowering every individual to achieve excellence.…

This special report includes four articles arising from the American Society for Training and Development's symposium, "Approaches to Change in Organizations": "Taking Charge of of Change" (Steinburg); "Five Views of Change" (Conner et al.); "Breakpoint Change" (Land, Jarman); and "Approaches to Change" (Kotler). (JOW)

Transforming the school as an organization requires change in all its components. More important, transformation connects the technical components with the human elements to create fundamental changes in the ways people perceive, think, and behave. With the community, a Wisconsin school board adopted a school district value statement to be used as…

Cautions that, taken to its logical extreme, economic theory ignores the importance of implementation, implies lack of choice in organization decision making, and makes the organization a nonentity. Outlines the fundamental differences between behavioral and economic approaches to business policy. (63 references) (MLF)

Using two case studies, this article amends Gouldner's findings about the effects of executive succession on bureaucracy in three ways. First, introducing an outside chief executive can lead to increased professionalism instead of increased bureaucracy. Also, superintendents cannot unilaterally determine the outcomes of change. Formal structural…