A framework to consider a successful change effort in an organization consists of four elements: conditions for change; manner of initiation; road blocks or facilitators; and lasting results. A specific case study in which this framework can be applied is the process of change in one university. While the immediate manner of initiation was an…

A systematic understanding of how various behavioral components (vision, articulation skills, empowerment, unconventionality, and risk-taking) work together to set apart certain individuals as charismatic leaders is presented. Using illustrations from the careers of charismatic leaders, including Steve Jobs, Lee Iacocca, Mary Kay, John DeLorean,…

An analysis of the problems facing leaders in higher education or other organizational settings as well as insights on effective leadership is presented. The 23 chapters are organized in four parts. Part 1, "The Unconscious Conspiracy and How to Confound It," suggests the presence of such a conspiracy involving the entrenched bureaucracy and…

A systems design framework for the transformation of education is presented in this paper. A systems approach views education as a system of interdependent problems and the design process as one of four parts of organizational inquiry. A framework for educational design is presented, which is composed of three dimensions--focus for change, scope…

Recent educational reform efforts have sought to restructure schools, changing the character of school culture and creating a need for a nontraditional approach to inservice teacher education. Inservice projects have been implemented which attempt to prepare practicing teachers for restructured schools and as participants in the restructuring…

This document considers the curriculum development process as interrelated with the process of change and emphasizes the need to integrate an international perspective into the curriculum development process. It explores: (1) technological change and an international perspective on curriculum; (2) Armstrong's seven-stage model of the tasks that…

Empirical hypotheses about organizational change are compared with actual case studies of change and leadership at the University of California (UC) system. The hypotheses are based on the sociological literature on complex organizations and are derived from three perspectives: (1) rational choice and analytic approaches, (2) cognitive…

Effective leaders operate with three different styles: manager-as-technician, manager-as-conductor, and manager-as-developer. The first two work well if the manager remains a hero, but this heroic style diminishes the subordinates' own capabilities and confidence and is counterproductive to change. The post-heroic manager, or manager-as-developer,…

When school psychologists adopt an organization development perspective they are acting on a cluster of related concepts: (1) that because schools are social organizations, school effectiveness depends on the school's organizational culture; (2) that attempts to institute educational reforms only work when the reforms and the school culture mesh;…

Three separate studies of three different school superintendents are reported on in terms of the effect of leadership styles on organizational cultures. The analysis used nine descriptors derived from Schein's comprehensive description of leadership in the conduct of organizational culture creation. The report is based on historical and…

A structural reorganization of the University of Queensland, Australia, was undertaken to promote efficient resource management, and a resource allocation model was developed to aid in policy evaluation and planning. The operation of the restructured system was based on creating five resource groups to manage the distribution of academic resources…

A study was implemented to conduct a long-range observation and analysis of the process by which computers are channeled into educational practice. Data collection involved a structured interview with knowledgeable representatives of 35 school districts in Wisconsin. Participating schools were selected randomly and stratified by size. Questions in…

Recommendations of a task force, directed to study ways to upgrade teacher preparation programs to make the course of study more rigorous and effective, became mandatory for constituent institutions once they were adopted by the Board of Governors and the General Assembly of a southeastern state. This provided an opportunity to study the process…

A study was conducted to determine the impact technology would have on the developing scenario of a competitive market for the training and retraining of both the unemployed and employed. The objective was to identify the perceptions of employees concerning technology and the effectiveness and efficiency of office technology training. The study…

This paper provides responses to questions which address the effectiveness of California's instructional program and possible strategies for its improvement. The text mentions several topics including "excellence for all"; the needs of a "demographically changing student population"; James Coleman's notion that public schools…