The outstanding basic research conducted by leading U.S. universities contrasts with the institutional paralysis that limits their responses to the changing social environment. A matrix model of university organization and mission is presented and a starting point for organizational learning and change is offered. (Author/MLW)

The strategies used by the administrator of the University of Melbourne's central registration office to meet the multiple challenges of retraining staff for computerization, substantial reduction in staff, and a specific directive to improve services to users are outlined and discussed. (MSE)

Describes the structure and internal dynamics of Israeli residential schools and the change processes that have developed in recent decades. Concludes that the residential schools reflect the larger community outside and provide a second chance for many students to learn to function effectively yet autonomously. (KH)

Organizational adaptation and types of adaptation needed in academe in the future are reviewed and major conceptual approaches to organizational adaptation are presented. The probable environment that institutions will face in the future that will require adaptation is discussed. (MLW)

Discusses the pairings of Boston public schools with local colleges, collaborations which were court-mandated to facilitate school desegregation. Outlines historical and judicial background and analyzes assumptions about change and reaction within a forced collaborative setting. Offers recommendations to staff development interventionists working…

Examines the organizational implications of the recent education reform panels and commissions, including the question of expected linkage between reports and action at the local level. Looks at the commissions as ceremonies with deep symbolic meaning and the potential power to express, shape, reorganize, or create educational values. (RDN)

Hearings and other due process protections have recently been extended to many social welfare clients. If clients are to benefit, practitioners must be trained in legal skills, and agencies structured to accommodate due process hearings without compromising their other obligations. (Author)

Individuals and organizations are usually so immersed in day-to-day task completion that it is impossible to step back and scan the environment to determine (a) what work is crucial, (b) quality of current and past work, and (c) how the work contributes to larger organizational priorities. This focus on "just keeping up" with what must get done…

This hearing represented an important opportunity for subcommittee representatives to learn about the progress in implementation of systems that exist to help monitor international students attending post-secondary institutions in the United States, as well as to understand the challenges that remain. The purpose of the hearing, in particular, was…

At the request of students and the Board of Trustees, the Connecticut Community Colleges began a system to develop a common course number system. The reasons for creating a common course number system include: (1) it simplifies comparisons between colleges in the system; (2) it facilitates course comparisons, easing the transcript evaluation…

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…