Organizations are the product of the ideas and interactions of those who work in them. The challenge for learning in organizations is to have a shared purpose and vision of the organization, to develop new ideas arising out of the vision and purpose, to test the ideas in the organizational reality, and to communicate that knowledge to other…

This report analyzes data from a survey of the 50 states and the District of Columbia designed to study changes in organizational structure within state education agencies (SEAs) and the impact of those changes on management and leadership in special education. completed forms were received from 48 SEAs or a 94 percent return rate. The report…

Although incivility and conflict have long plagued community colleges and other educational institutions, recent budget declines have made this situation more critical. In the past, those who disagreed could be bought off and organizations tended to hire layers of people to perform tasks that one person with a personal computer can perform today.…

If they are to be effective, organizations must acquire and create new knowledge in order to achieve their goals. Service organizations, such as schools, must employ the concept of organizational learning. Organizational learning is an intentional process directed at improving organizational effectiveness. The process involves four…

Public dissatisfaction with school boards, which started building in the 1980s with the publication of "A Nation At Risk," is now evidenced by calls for national standards and accountability measures. This paper presents an overview of the changing school board and how some boards have reformed themselves. The paper discusses ways in which…

This book contains a collection of articles about the ways in which organizations do the key work of society, the ways in which the work of the organization will change, and the essential role of the organization in public, private, and social arenas. Following the preface and introduction, titled "Toward the New Organization" by Peter F. Drucker,…

During the mid- to late-1990s, the declining economy in Nova Scotia led to a reduction in the number of school boards and the closure or amalgamation of smaller schools. This paper presents findings from the first phase of a longitudinal case study that explored the amalgamation of five elementary schools in Gold Cove, Nova Scotia. The study uses…

This paper develops a theory-practice view of administrative and organizational decision making. Its goals are to improve administrative decision-making processes, facilitate organizational change through faculty involvement, and increase the potential for success in education reform efforts. The first sections discuss the nature of theory and…

This book presents an approach to professional education and higher education institutional reform based on teaching and research in organizational behavior and professional effectiveness. The work presents a theory of action that aims to enhance human activity, responsibility, self-actualization, learning, and effectiveness. In the first of three…

This booklet presents guidelines for the management of change in medicine in Great Britain, particularly post-basic medical education. Following a forward and introduction, a description of the study from which the guidelines were developed is presented. That study was a major investigation of adapting business and industry change management…

This paper examines the implications for change in the role of the principal when a school moves from a traditional model to a specific restructured model, an accelerated school. The paper begins with a review of the characteristics of both traditional and restructured schools in general, and the accelerated school as a particular example of a…

This report contains recommendations made by the Arizona Committee on Decentralization, who identified issues in the implementation of decentralization in Arizona's public schools. The report presents an overview of the definition and purposes of decentralization and findings of a survey of 4,100 Arizona public school teachers and principals…

Findings of the first phase of a longitudinal study that developed a descriptive profile of new principals in New York City are presented in this paper. A survey of 216 newly appointed principals in New York City elicited 158 responses, a 73 percent response rate. Findings indicate that despite the emphasis on aspects of transformational…

Findings of a study that examined the extent to which transformational forms of leadership contribute to teacher commitment are presented in this paper. Teachers' commitment to change is expressed as a function of personal goals, two types of personal agency beliefs, and emotional arousal processes. Alterable variables giving rise to commitment…

This paper explores the meaning of Total Quality Management (TQM), examines the development of the concept, and assesses the application of TQM to education. In summary, TQM has the following points of relevance for education: (1) The interest and welfare of every student must be a primary concern; (2) the authoritarian management model does not…