This paper explores the dynamics of managing collective problem solving and decision making, and the application of tools and strategies to deal with the emergent complexity of systems in which educators work. Schools and educational programs are complex adaptive systems that respond to changes in internal and external environments. Functioning…

A study was undertaken to understand the role of electronic communication technologies (ECTs) in maintaining work-related communication. The study site was Sun Microsystems, a company at the high end of the curve in terms of its commitment to and employees' experience with ECTs. An electronic focus group (n=40, 4% response) and an e-mail survey…

Data on flexibility in German companies were compiled through interviews and followed up annually. Employment trends in western Germany indicated a historic peak of 29.5 million employed in 1992 followed by a steady decline of about 1 million to 28.5 million in 1995. Employment losses continued in 1996; 1997 showed some signs of stability.…

This book offers advice to facilitators and change agents who wish to build systems-level learning to create knowledge that can be used to gain a competitive advantage. Chapter 1 describes forces driving companies to build, sustain, and effectively use systems-level learning and presents and links a working definition of the learning organization…

This organizational vignette is the first in a multi-part series highlighting community service providers. This particular issue focuses on Mass Bay Employment Services (MBES) located in Boston, Massachusetts, that works with people with serious mental illness and has moved from a non-employment oriented day program to one that has employment as…

New technologies have made radical changes in the way work is done. This development has passed by German trade unions anchored traditionally among workers in industrial production and stuck in the old model of the full-time employee with a predictable career and a job for life. Consequently, between 1991-98, about 3 million out of the former 11…

With the nationwide implementation of managed care and the eroding financial base for children's services, social service agencies need new organizational systems to survive. This handbook provides an overview of one new system, Total Quality Management (TQM), as it relates to the child welfare field. The book's chapters are: (1) "Total…

This report is part of a series of reports designed to document innovative daytime and supported living practices. It is based on a site visit to Katahdin Friends, Inc. (KFI) in March 1998. Since the mid-1980s, KFI, located in Millinocket, Maine, has transformed its supports for people with developmental disabilities from those that promote…

The widespread introduction of information and communication technologies (ICT) is affecting the skills needed in employment. Programs of vocational education and training (VET) should ensure people have the wide range of skills needed to be employable in these environments. ICT is spreading into more workplaces as a tool for reorganizing…

To illustrate the principles and conflicts inherent in ensuring the self-determination of individuals with disabilities, this paper discusses the challenges faced by the parents of Shari, an adult with developmental disabilities. Throughout Sheri's 30 years, her parents have sought to create the kind of supports and opportunities that will put…

Small and mid-sized companies provide substantial opportunities for many U.S. workers. The nature of work and the culture of workplaces are changing as dramatically as the employment statistics. A company's success or failure may ride on the knowledge and skills of a handful of employees. Employees in small and mid-sized companies--both highly…

Many factors have contributed to the increased pressure on institutions of higher education worldwide to become more cost-effective. In 1990, the International Institute for Educational Planning (IIEP) launched an international research program on the problems of higher education management at the institutional level to create a knowledge base on…

The creation of the Massachusetts Board of Regents by legislative act in 1980 marked a major departure from a loosely coordinated system of higher education that had been in place in the state since 1965. The new public system created a central governing board with strong budgetary and program authority. (MLW)

One reason why teacher education programs are slow to change involves misconceptions about what change entails. Four myths about change are discussed, and strategies for overcoming problems, based on one school of education's experiences with introducing changes to better prepare teachers for mainstreaming, are presented. (PP)

Analysis of universities as organizations, characteristics of academic staff, and universities' change processes suggests why attempts to improve teaching have not been very successful: teaching is very complex; attempts at amelioration are relatively new; the theoretical base is weak; and focus on developing individuals may be inappropriate.…