In society, courage gets associated with soldiers, police, firefighters--those men and women who risk their lives in ways that are public and visible and immediate. For school heads also, as a different dictionary definition puts it, courage is demonstrated through "strength in the face of pain or grief" and the ability to do something that…

Most executives have not heard of human performance technology (HPT), but a recent Google search showed 25 times more Google hits for "lean six sigma" than for "human performance technology." This article describes five factors that make HPT a hard sell: (1) HPT is not part of standard business jargon, (2) organizational executives associate…

Distinguishing between problems that have solutions and dilemmas that need to be managed, the authors identify three overarching questions from the School ABC case that center around data and perceptions. Because the ability to talk openly and honestly about difficult issues is critical to the health of a school, the authors consider the obstacles…

This chapter begins with a discussion of the impact of limited resources on the integrity of transactions between students and student affairs administrators. A framework and guiding principles for maintaining integrity are offered, and then some general principles for transactions with students are presented. Next, the chapter involves integrity…

The "Seven S" framework developed by Pascale and Athos can be adapted to encompass both the technical and philosophical dimensions of organizational problem solving. For a community college, the seven elements of the model would be: (1) Superordinate goals--the significant meanings and guiding concepts that make up the philosophy of a…

Describes the Oregon State University library's experience with Total Quality Management (TQM) from initial training and development of two teams to its use as an impartial problem-solving tool which anyone can use. Staff concerns and fears about TQM are discussed, and benefits are explained. (Contains five references.) (EAM)

Outlines the problem-solving team training process used at Harvard University (Massachusetts), including the size and formation of teams, roles, and time commitment. Components of the process are explained, including introduction to Total Quality Management (TQM), customer satisfaction, meeting management, Parker Team Player Survey, interactive…

Describes a model of Total Quality Management (TQM) developed by the Association of Research Libraries. The issues, elements and processes of a comprehensive TQM-based transition, including commitment by management, linkage to organizational strategic planning, organizational culture, understanding customers, and quality teams are covered.…

Explores the value of Total Quality Management (TQM) for libraries as a management methodology to complement the changing needs of research libraries in light of changing information technology. The planning process for a new academic library which used many TQM elements is described. (EAM)