Digital Commons Network^™

Think Globally, Act Locally: A Delphi Study Of Educational Leadership Through The Development Of International Resources In The Local Community, Stuart R. Grauer Edd

Dissertations

The probable future of international resource development in the local school community for the years leading up to 2000 was researched using the Delphi method--the best available tool for building consensus in emerging fields. A panel of 28 identified experts in elementary and secondary schools and districts from Southern California in the field of school-community relations with demonstrable experience in international education completed three rounds of surveys. The surveys served to identify (1) educational resource people who could bring constructive change communitywide, (2) program developments and school-community partnerships, (3) practical and philosophical goals for fusing international, national, community and academic …

The Schools Of The Future Commission Of San Diego City Schools: An Ethnographic Study, Bertha Ousley Pendleton Edd

Dissertations

Ethnographic research methods were used to analyze the culture of a large city commission appointed to make recommendations for the future of the school district. The study focused on the year-long deliberations of a panel of 17 community leaders. The objectives of the study were to (1) describe the culture of the Commission, (2) analyze the action of Commission members, and (3) develop guidelines for conducting successful commission studies. Major research questions that were the focus of the study were inquiries about (a) the social and cultural organization of the Commission, (b) how the Commission developed and proceeded to do …

Using A Cultural Change Intervention To Improve Organizational Effectiveness: An Evaluative Case Study, Terry M. Dearstone Edd

Dissertations

This study examines one organization in its attempt to improve organizational effectiveness by effecting a change to the organizational culture. In late 1984 the Rancho Bernardo division of Northern Telecom Electronics began a long term effort to change its culture. This study answers four research questions regarding this organization's attempt at culture change: 1) What were the strategies used by the Northern Telecom Electronics-Rancho Bernardo division to attempt to change organizational culture? 2) To what extent did the organization's culture change between 1984 and 1988? 3) In what ways did organizational effectiveness change between 1984 and 1988? and 4) What …

Organizational Change In Action: A Qualitative Case Study Of Usair's Acquisition Of Pacific Southwest Airlines, Joan A. Miszak Edd

Dissertations

Five dominant theories of organizational change have emerged from the literature. Each of these models expressly expand on a singular and specific paradigm of how change can be viewed within organizations. The models of change are the micro-personal-therapeutic, meso-rational-managerial, meso-systems-organic, macro-cultural-symbolic and macro-political-economic. While the contemporary literature on organizational change has done much to further our understanding about the future of organizational change, very few works provide us with case study examples of organizational change in action. Missing is an understanding of what facilitators of change actually do in the process of change. The present study sought to provide a …

Governing And Managing Multi-Modal Transit Agencies In A Multicentric Era, Sy Adler, Sheldon Edner

Center for Urban Studies Publications and Reports

We explore the dynamics of governing and managing multi-modal regional transit agencies through a case study of the Tri-County Metropolitan Transit District (Tri-Met), which provides bus and rail transit services to the Portland, Oregon, metropolitan area (see map). Along with other similarly constituted firms in the United States transit industry, Tri-Met confronts the challenge of providing service in a geopolitical context that is quite different than when the agency was created. The critical new element in Tri-Met's operating environment is the emergence of several suburban business centers that effectively compete with the Portland central business district (CBD), and are seeking …

College Library Friends Groups In New York, New Jersey, And Connecticut, Janet Munch

Publications and Research

Friends of the Library groups are largely undocumented in the professional literature at non doctoral-granting colleges and universities. Through a survey of Friends activities at colleges and universities in the tri-state area of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut, this study fills a gap in knowledge about these groups.

Strategic Planning In Human Service Agencies, Stephen A. Webster, Mary Wylie

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Recent public policy initiatives including deinstitutionalization, deregulation, decentralization, and privatization have resulted in: (a) rapid growth in the number of private not-for-profit organizations; and, (b) competitive environments. These conditions have forced agencies to examine their planning processes to determine if agency goals are appropriate for meeting market demands. An exploratory study of 154 human service agencies examined if and how strategic planning was used to respond to these conditions. The Chief Executive Officers for those agencies reported that strategic planning was replacing incremental planning as a preferred planning model. However, the choice resulted because of pressure from outside influentials not …

The President Reports, Robert M. Smith

Association for Communication Administration Bulletin

This report highlights major initiatives and organizational changes for the Association for Communication Administration during 1987–88. Key achievements include gaining a seat on the Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass Communications, participating in the first joint meeting with related associations, and expanding theatre membership and resources. The Executive Committee proposed a constitutional change to rename the organization the International Association for Communication Administrators, reflecting global communication trends. Additional developments included new directories, software resources, and handbooks for chairs, along with continued regional programming and career publications. The report emphasizes the importance of international engagement, financial sustainability, and member …

Hospital Responses To A Nursing Shortage : Policy Issues And Professional Implications, Marlene Lobracco Smith

Dissertations and Theses

This study addresses three policy issues found in the literature: How can hospitals best manage the problem of shortages of the nursing home resource, how have federal policy makers responded to the mounting shortages, and how has the unique character of nursing influenced policy.

An analysis of existing hospital policy making is presented. An analysis of the class conflict within nursing is also presented. Data have been generated from a case sample of six urban hospitals in the Pacific Northwest to assess their management of the nursing resource during the critical shortages of the late 1970s.

Three response patterns have …

Culture Analysis In A Merger Environment, Dorairaj Sharathram

Theses

The effects of the merger upon the People Express Airline company is studied with particular emphasis upon changes in corporate culture and structure.

A case study approach utilizes an extensive literature search and interviews with People Express executives. It is confirmed that the structural change has led to the cultural change.

With a unique style of management structure and culture, People Express, due to its own mistakes and problems, quickly lost its market share and allowed itself to be taken over by Continental Airlines a subsidiary of Houston based Texas Air Corp.

It is interesting to note that the corporate …

Lanthorn, Vol. 23, No. 01, May 4, 1988, Grand Valley State University

Volume 23, May 4, 1988 - May 31, 1989

Lanthorn is Grand Valley State's student newspaper, published from 1968 to the present.

Deprofessionalization, Proletarianization, And Social Welfare Work, Paula Dressel, Michelle Waters, Mike Sweat, Obie Clayton Jr., Amy Chandler-Clayton

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

In this paper we explore the personnel transformations which have occurred in social welfare work. Specifically, we examine the tensions between the dynamics of professionalization and deprofessionalization and how these trends have impacted upon those who work in the social welfare enterprise. Another concern of the paper is the effect of the proletarianization of social welfare work in the face of increasing efforts of some to create professional standards and to solidify the position of professionals in agencies. These struggles are examined in terms of their ability to affect the likelihood of both worker unionization and worker-client political coalitions.

Analyzing The Shape Of Organizational Adaptability In Response To Environmental Jolts, David W. Britt

Clinical Sociology Review

Examining how organizational systems have responded to external jolts (threats, crises, etc.) is a useful precursor to large-scale organizational development projects. The shape of adaptability is introduced as a sensitizing concept for facilitating such analyses. The suggested elements of shape consist of three critical performance levels ([1] at the time of the jolt; [2] at the lowest point after any fall off in performance; and [3] its recovery level), and three time periods ([1] how long the organization is able to resist a fall off in performance [Resistance]; [2] how long it takes the organization to recover to its original …

The "Selective Catholicism" Thesis: A Critical Review Of Literature, James William Kelly

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

Organizing For Change: An Assessment Of Organization Development Activities Of Training Consultants, Katherine Waller Edd

Dissertations

The purpose of this dissertation was to examine and analyze the background and training of consultants involved in organization development activities, the client organizations served by these professionals, the types of organization development interventions most commonly employed by the training consultants, and the resources utilized by internal and external consultants conducting organization development activities. The data were collected from a review and analysis of organization development research literature and from a descriptive survey questionnaire utilized to obtain information from a sample of 102 practicing consultants from a variety of institutional settings throughout the United States. Both qualitative and quantitative information …

The Emergence Of The Middle School In Independent Education, Lawrence S. Sykoff Edd

Dissertations

Independent schools across the nation have adopted the middle school concept. The critical element in the evolution of the middle school in independent education is that the unique and marked changes in the overall intellectual and psycho-social development of adolescents have been systematically identified and integrated into a multi-divisional (K-12) structure. The literature and statistical information documenting the emergence of the middle school in independent education has been minimal. While contemporary research on public middle schools is extensive, very little data collection or theoretical models have been accumulated about the middle school movement in the private sector. The present study …

Re-Inventing The Corporation And Rediscovering The University, Robert O. Blanchard

Association for Communication Administration Bulletin

This article critiques the trend of universities adopting businesslike practices while corporations increasingly model themselves after universities. Drawing on themes from Re-Inventing the Corporation, it argues that higher education has been dismantling traditions of creativity, autonomy, and broad inquiry in favor of hierarchical management and narrow specialization. By contrast, innovative corporations such as Apple, IBM, and W.L. Gore emphasized vision, co-ownership, self-management, and creativity, cultivating environments that empower employees. The discussion contrasts corporate strategies for the Information Age—flexibility, decentralized communication, encouragement of innovation—with universities’ reliance on conformity, rigid structures, and centralized control. Insights from organizational studies suggest that universities have …

Preparing For Change: Management Concepts For The Future—Ideas From Supermanaging By Brown And Weiner, Ladonna Mcmurray Geddes

Association for Communication Administration Bulletin

This article reviews concepts from Brown and Weiner’s Supermanaging and considers their application to communication administration in higher education. The discussion highlights rapid social and technological change, the growth of continuing education, and shifting demographics, all of which demand flexible and future-oriented management. Key ideas include environmental scanning, “error-embracing” leadership, and the importance of marketing strategies for organizational survival. Middle managers are urged to redefine their roles by fostering self-motivating environments, networking, anticipating issues, and demonstrating unique contributions. The article also stresses the significance of social contracts, balancing responsibilities to employees, clients, communities, and funding agencies. Applying these concepts to …

Stability And Fluctuation In Juvenile Delinquency In Israel, Ram A. Cnaan, Itzhak Hocherman

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

A review of the literature indicates two major approaches in official crime rate analysis. The first approach postulates a positive correlation between recorded crime rates and a number of factors including police strength, organizational structure of social control agencies, opportunity, and social pathologies. The second postulate is based on Erikson's hypothesis of stability of deviance over time, namely that recorded crime rates in a given society will remain comparatively stable over time. We tested these approaches based on 15 years of juvenile delinquency statistics in Israel. Official statistics on both recorded juvenile delinquents and their recorded crimes were tested through …

Public Land Management: Planning, Problems, And Opportunities, David C. Williams

The Public Lands During the Remainder of the 20th Century: Planning, Law, and Policy in the Federal Land Agencies (Summer Conference, June 8-10)

26 pages (includes illustrations).

Contains bibliography.

Poverty And Migration: Synthesis Of Macrolevel And Microlevel Perspectives Of Migration, Keywon Cheong

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This study assesses effects of contextual and personal characteristics on the migration propensities of individuals, with primary focus on several measurements of individual poverty status and the poverty level of the residential areas. The restricted opportunity perspective on poverty, the human capital perspective and the microeconomic perspective on migration, are the major frameworks guiding the study. Logistic regression analysis of data from the National Longitudinal Surveys of the Youth Cohort and from the 1983 County and City Data Book is employed to investigate differences in the Migration behavior between the poor and nonpoor, and significant main and interactive effects of …

Invitation: Women In Power Champagne Brunch, National Council Of Jewish Women

Saffy Collection - All Textual Materials

Invitation to "Women in Power" Champagne Brunch hosted by the National Council of Jewish Women and in honor of Nancy Dreicer, Ronnie Rosenbaum, and Ann Shorstein. It was held on Sunday, April 26, 1987 at 10:30 am at the Sheraton at St. Johns Place.

Metro Roundtable Newsletter, April 1987

Metro Roundtable Newsletter

A newsletter published for Deaf Catholics in St. Louis, MO

Metro Roundtable Newsletter Finding Aid

Focal Point, Volume 01 Number 03, Portland State University. Regional Research Institute

Research and Training Center - Focal Point

Therapeutic Case Advocacy (TCA) is one approach to helping emotionally handicapped children and their families. It is described here as a multi-level model to improve services for this population for two reasons. First, the approach typically requires planned, coordinated activity on three levels: the child and family, the lead organization providing services, and interagency collaboration. Second, the word "model" conveys the idea of what the real thing might look like.

The model is a preliminary pattern, a plan for guiding the actual process of helping emotionally handicapped children and their families. It is not a recipe. Any actual process of …

Department Chair As Change Agent, John I. Sisco

Association for Communication Administration Bulletin

This article examines the role of the department chair as a catalyst for change within academic institutions. It considers the origins of chairs—whether promoted internally, recruited from other institutions, or brought in with prior administrative experience—and how these backgrounds shape their effectiveness. The discussion distinguishes between changes typically sought by administration, such as reorganizing programs for efficiency or shifting institutional identity toward research, and those sought by faculty, including greater resources and improved recognition of departmental contributions. Emphasis is placed on setting realistic, short-term goals that engage all faculty members, thereby building momentum and visibility for the department. The article …

The Department Chair As An Agent Of Change, Edward L. Mcglone

Association for Communication Administration Bulletin

This essay explores the department chair’s role as an agent of change within academic institutions. It examines the nature of organizational change, highlighting that it often occurs when departments themselves are ready rather than when leaders desire it. The discussion reviews the complex and varied expectations of the chair’s position, dispelling myths about charisma, workaholism, and “honeymoon” periods as prerequisites for effectiveness. Instead, effective leadership is described as grounded in intelligence, interpersonal skill, humor, and the ability to cultivate a supportive environment. The essay emphasizes that chairs cannot enact change unilaterally but must recognize readiness, build consensus, and create conditions …

Utility Analysis: Estimating The Sdy Parameter For Accounting Supervisors, Terry P. Brownson

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

Personnel decisions have the potential to influence an entire organization. The effects of these decisions are more credible and relevant when quantified. Historically, benefits were defined in correlational statistics, i.e., validity coefficients. But the increasing demand is for a bottom-line or dollar-value definition. The utility concept presents a methodology for providing the dollar value impact on performance of a personnel intervention program. One parameter of a utility analysis model is the standard deviation of job performance in dollars (SDy). This research develops a SDy value for the yearly production contribution of a first level line accounting supervisor to be used …

Gestalt Research: Clinical-Field-Research Approaches To Studying Organizations, Peter Blanck, Arthur Turner

Burton Blatt Institute

The general purpose of organizational behavior as a dis­cipline is to improve useful knowledge and understand­ing of how members of real organizations actually behave. Accordingly, organizational behavior researchers need to get inside ongoing organizations to interview and observe their members at work. In this chapter, after defining and clarifying what we mean by the term clin ical field research, we discuss several important issues that researchers face in designing and conducting clinical-field-research projects. We will give examples of how the issues have been handled by previous researchers, and in addition suggest answers to some of the questions raised by critics …

Solving The Hotel's Human Problems, William Whyte

Clinical Sociology Review

No abstract provided.

The Heart And Spirit Of Transformational Leadership A Qualitative Case Study Of Herb Kelleher’S Passion For Southwest Airlines, Kevin L. Freiberg Edd

Dissertations

The notion of transformational leadership as developed by James MacGregor Burns has contributed significantly to a new consensus in the literature regarding the nature of leadership. Burns introduced the concept of transformational leadership, suggesting that leaders are individuals who transform their institutions by embracing competition and conflict, meeting the mutual goals of both leader and followers, successfully articulating their values to followers and drawing them into a common purpose and a shared vision, using power resources and politics to satisfy their followers’ needs and wants, and raising the moral aspirations of both leaders and led. While the contemporary literature on …