The appreciative inquiry process was used to identify conditions enhancing self-directed learning. Participants in the project did the following: (1) used the five-step process to identify factors/conditions/forces that seemed to cause self-directed learning to occur; (2) created a matrix by combining the factors/conditions/forces with six…

This special issue examines multicultural aspects of services provided by agencies concerned with children's mental health. The lead article is titled "Developing Culturally Competent Organizations" by James L. Mason. This article uses the cultural competence model to discuss an organization's self-evaluation and its planning in the…

Designed to help adult learners realize the importance and necessity of implementing continuous quality improvement (CQI) in a rapidly changing, competitive, and modern world of work, this document presents a comprehensive explanation of CQI. The following topics are discussed in the book's introduction and seven chapters: importance of quality in…

This document contains four papers from a symposium on contextual learning issues. In "Creating Mosaics: The Interrelationships between Knowledge and Context" (Barbara J. Daley), nurses report using information from training programs to create a knowledge base for professional practice. "Analysis of Action Learning Experiences…

This document contains four papers from a symposium on global human resource development (HRD). "Globalization of Human Resource Management (HRM) in Government: A Cross-Cultural Perspective" (Pan Suk Kim) relates HRM to national cultures and addresses its specific functional aspects with a unique dimension in a global organization.…

This monograph presents the philosophy of the Rehabilitation Research and Training Center on Supported Employment (Virginia) concerning consumer advocacy and supported employment for persons with disabilities. An introductory chapter looks at origins of supported employment, its relationship to consumer advocacy, and challenges facing these…

Because information is quickly becoming the key resource in many industries globally, it seems natural to utilize and incorporate it as the primary resource in education, an institution that affects our entire society. A definition of an information-based organization (IBO) is proposed, steps to making an organization an IBO are identified, and a…

This annual journal presents the latest thinking and research on important issues of faculty, instructional, and organizational development in postsecondary education. Essays in this issue and their authors are as follows: "Faculty Development and the New American Scholar" (William B. Bondeson); "Improving Higher Education: Issues…

This book provides a case study of the implementation of a quality improvement model to improve educational services at Fox Valley Technical College (FVTC), in Appleton, Wisconsin. Chapter 1 describes the early stages of the implementation of the quality processes at FVTC. Chapter 2 discusses the role of the chief administrator as mentor and…

The parents' guide in English and Spanish versions, offers a synthesis of the Mid-Continent Regional Educational Laboratory's (McRel) "A+chieving Excellence," a 480-page manual on educational decision-making and management. Four sections examine four broad areas in which policies must be established for improving student achievement--efficiency,…

This sourcebook provides substantive ideas for private liberal arts colleges interested in assessing, enhancing, and maintaining the quality of the academic workplace. Additionally, it responds to some of the current trends affecting American higher education involving faculty worklife and development, problems associated with faculty shortages,…

This guide assists in establishing a collaborative unit or a task group to deliver services to children and youth with serious emotional disabilities and their families. The guide is not intended to be an exhaustive manual, but does address the primary activities of professionals using interagency collaboration to establish comprehensive systems…

Quality improvement in the workplace via scientific techniques of research and training is discussed. Topics addressed include time factors, salient problems and assignable causes, informed observation, experimental design, study location, and training. Requirements for change in the workplace include: change in management attitudes and structure…

Employee ownership through employee stock ownership plans (ESOPs) was first mentioned in federal legislation in the Regional Rail Reorganization Act of 1973. Since then, at least 19 pieces of federal legislation have been enacted that deal with employee ownership in some way, including the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) and tax…

A move from "participative" to "shared" governance of the California community colleges is one of the fundamental goals of Assembly Bill 1725. The Foothill-De Anza Community College District has given special priority to meeting this goal through its system of shared governance. Foothill-De Anza's success can be attributed to…