Defines public affairs within the public relations context, recommends theory-building as a way to clarify issues, and proposes opening theoretical discussions to critical perspectives. (MS)

New technologies such as the CT scanner are challenging traditional role relations among radiology workers and may be altering the organizational and occupational structure of radiological work. This paper expands recent sociological thought by showing how identical CT scanners occasion similar structuring processes and created divergent forms of…

Differences in staff perceptions of three aspects of school-based curriculum development (planning models, decision making, and satisfaction levels) were studied, using a sample of 277 New South Wales teachers. Results show status as significantly related to all three aspects, and underline the need for continuous staff dialog. (29 references)…

A survey to learn how publications offices market themselves on campus is discussed. The responses indicate that many use brochures and handouts, rather than formal meetings. Some of the ways publications managers tell the campus of their offices' skills and service are presented. (MLW)

Discusses the use of Swedish and Finnish in a bilingual company with offices in both countries. In some work areas, Finnish is the dominant language, in other instances, Swedish is. At many meetings, each person speaks in his/her mother tongue. There seems to be no friction over language choice. (SED)

This article reviews problems associated with school planning, highlights reasons for resistance, and suggests components of an effective planning process. Additional functions of an effective plan are identified as serving as a communication and coordinating device, a monitoring framework, a political document, and an organizational database.…

Applies a Burkean Approach to performance appraisal interviews. Contends that studies of the appraisal interview should be based on longitudinal observation and analysis of performance, behavior, character, and cultural fit, not solely on the behavior exhibited during the interview. (PD)

Explains the matrix organizational structure and describes conditions or pressures that lead an administrator to consider the matrix approach. Provides examples of how it operates in a department or school. (PD)

Summarizes the business and discussions of the Chicago convention of the National Conference of Women School Executives. Includes tips on how women can swim in the shark-infested waters of administration--and survive. (JW)

Studies by authors and also by Tosi (1970) fail to corroborate Vroom's hypothesis (1960) that the relationship of participation in decision-making to job satisfaction is influenced by subordinate's need for independence or authoritarianism. Methodological differences in studies are considered insufficient to account for contradictory findings,…

A video message display system similar to that used at airports to announce flight arrival and departure times replaced distracting public address announcements. (Author/MLF)

This booklet presents five papers that address the issue of whether 360-degree feedback (in which a manager or executive receives feedback on how bosses, peers, and direct reports see him or her) should be used only for development, or whether 360-degree feedback (also known as multi-rater feedback) should be used for administrative purposes such…

This paper considers the ongoing debate between two organizations (National Association of Scholars and Teachers for a Democratic Culture) in higher education. The rhetorical positions of each side resemble those of the "cold war" between the United States and the Soviet Union of the 1950s and 1960s where each side created a mirror image…

This paper calls for the inclusion of narrative, thematic, and metaphor analysis as organizational assessment or communication audit methods and discusses some practical means of integrating these symbolic interpretational devices. The paper begins by defining the notion of symbol as the message content important to the organizational member. It…

A simple simulation illustrates the problem of communicating through several levels in an organization. (Editor)