School-based management (SBM) is a strategy to decentralize decision-making authority to the individual school site. This document describes the principles of SBM, of which devolution of authority is the fundamental concept. Local control and shared decision-making are manifested in five educational operations: goals, budget, personnel, curriculum…

An in-depth examination of restructuring is provided in this policy brief, which shows how the meaning of "restructuring" changes according to the setting and participants involved. After a review of the current context of the restructuring movement, different types of reform efforts are described, which include restructuring of…

The evolution of the newspaper industry can be viewed within the perspective of a dialectic ecology that emphasizes the determinative influence of the environment on the development of newspapers in the three stages of variation, selection, and retention. This perspective also introduces the concept of contradictions that rupture into…

Communication technology (CT), which involves the use of computers in private and group communication, has had a major impact on theory and research in organizational communication over the past 30 years. From the 1950s to the early 1970s, mainframe computers were seen as managerial tools in creating more centralized organizational structures.…

Although schools have served as a major target of both educational and mental-health oriented interventions, they have shown a marked tendency to assimilate innovative programs into existing patterns. This paper analyzes the sources and manifestations of resistance to change in schools and discusses the implications of such resistance for the…

Concludes that organizational development is a positive influence in promoting the type of school climate that allows for open relationships between teachers, students, and administrators. (AM)

Outlines some activities and assumptions of organizational development in the schools. (IRT)

Practitioners and theorists have given attention recently to the role and status of research activities in Canadian university continuing education units. For individuals in units that are increasing the proportion of their organizational activities devoted to research, there will be an ongoing process of cognitive change and development as a new…

The article discusses the role of the inservice educator in helping students to cope with the process of change and resistance to change that they will encounter as they return to their professional duties. (MW)

Asserts that educators can use what is known about communication and the change process to design better ways of interesting teachers in improving their instructional practices and in helping them to do so. Proposes a dissemination/diffusion model. (Author/WM)

Since many institutions have functioned as "paternocratic" systems, they cannot be expected to assume unfamiliar democratic-participative modes of functioning without guidance; this can be provided by a consultant or consultant team. The author offers 12 approaches to organizational change, discusses staff development, and outlines necessary…

The author cites 21 factors that have inhibited the development of effective human resources management strategies in local government over the years, and discusses two types of programs on the role and nature of personnel management and manpower development, especially as they relate to local government. (Author/BP)

An organizational workshop for staff members focused on organizational change through identification of problems, one-to-one communication, and the writing of contracts for behavioral change. Contract forming assists members to agree on definition of problems, to involve and commit themselves, and to define processes for change. (EA)

A study illustrated an interpretive approach to investigating personal commitment during radical organizational transition by examining how people talk metaphorically about commitment and identification as a process. A questionnaire was constructed to be used in phone interviews with six employee assistance program (EAP) counselors who contract…

This chapter of "Principles of School Business Management" identifies management theories that provide a fundamental conceptual knowledge base that school business officials can use to understand the school organizational setting and its influences on the day-to-day operation of the educational process. Particular attention is paid to…