Argues that strategically ambiguous messages play a key role in the birth of loosely coupled organizations and that the successful birth is contingent on these messages being interpreted differently by key constituencies in the organization's environment. Presents a case study of the creation of a new interdisciplinary research center at a major…

A thorough review of governing board bylaws will help ensure that the fundamental framework for the institution's governance is legally sound, up to date, and appropriate for its current circumstances. Serious bylaw reviews deal with fundamental college issues, and resulting discussions frequently identify basic issues or problems previously…

Extension professions can bring specific expertise to solving community housing problems with local organizations: community knowledge, housing knowledge, volunteer development skills, and organizational development skills. (SK)

A survey of 220 Hewlett-Packard United Kingdom employees revealed that they attended total quality training because of management pressure. To be effective, total quality training should emphasize the company's objectives, demonstrate applicability to work, and help participants select feasible quality projects. (SK)

Information technology (IT) presents universities with new challenges and opportunities. This paper identifies three principles to guide IT management: consideration of IT when formulating strategic plans; integration of IT management to enhance recognition of economies of scale and opportunities for technical substitution; and direct user…

Describes the founding of the Philosophy of Education Society (PES), tracing the evolution of philosophy of education. The article compares the purposes of the progressive educational journal, "The Social Frontier," and the PES and examines various other publications, explaining choices made in efforts to professionalize philosophy of…

Strategic planning identifies results, based upon an "ideal" vision, to be achieved at three levels: individual, organizational, and societal. This article recommends a megalevel educational planning model that helps planners contemplate societal outcomes in a practical way. A holistic, proactive planning process involves scoping, data…

Human resource development is more than training; it fosters the ability to see the big picture--the organization's place in the global environment--and the ability to change in response to environmental changes. (SK)

Second- and third-wave organizational development models fail to facilitate long-term school improvement or enhance individual growth and personal competency. The fourth-wave models focus entirely on individual growth as the primary source of overall organizational success, relying on team consultation, collegiality, and cooperative learning for…

Key challenges in development of learning organizations, promotion of learning culture, enhancement of learning processes, and development of learning communities are appropriateness of current models for interdisciplinary teams; whether valuing diversity enhances effectiveness; how global human resource development affects domestic; and what…

Describes the process by which the higher education community, working through national higher education association presidents, regional accreditation commission directors, and college/university presidents, created the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA), a new national organization on accrediting. The process illustrates the…

Review of the current state of human-resource-development literature includes definitions, models, and dominant biases. The review concludes that the literature is fragmented and reflects a diverse range of issues and opinions. (73 references) (SK)

When business students created a learning organization in the classroom, they experienced group process issues, the need to deal with setbacks and manage change, and personal growth and development. In the process they developed organizational and management knowledge and skills. (SK)

Appreciative inquiry, an approach focused on generation of a vision for an organization, may be adapted for management classes. Students and teachers conduct collaborative inquiry into successful experiences, creating positive images that generate positive action in the classroom. (SK)

New businesses (n=539) were surveyed in 1986-87 and 1992-93. People responsible for start-up retained responsibility for marketing and related functions. Production, service delivery, purchasing, shipping, and computer functions were most often delegated, usually to internal employees. Organization size did not influence functional…