The purpose of this research is to explore the possibility of viable learning organizations based on identifying viable organizational learning mechanisms. Two theoretical foundations, complex system theory and viable system theory, have been integrated to provide the rationale for building the sustainable organizational learning mechanism. The…

An adapted version of the Minnesota Satisfaction Questionnaire was used to collect data regarding three types of job satisfaction: general, intrinsic, and extrinsic among high school assistant principals in Mississippi. Forty-nine percent of the 245 assistant principals surveyed participated in the study. Results indicated a high degree of…

This paper provides an overview of the dimensions of organizational climate as they relate to early childhood work environments. It reports the results of a study involving 629 early childhood workers representing 65 nonprofit and for-profit, center-based programs. The focus of the inquiry was to determine in what ways the 94 administrators and…

College outdoor professionals are often simultaneously administrators, educators, and managers of student leaders. The manager role may be lost in the shadow of the others, yet can be the most powerful in creating a successful outdoor program. This paper reviews some relevant management principles gleaned from the business world and suggests ways…

Although organizations spend increasingly large amounts of money on training, little effort or money is spent on evaluating the effectiveness of training programs. When evaluations are done, they are often designed for specific programs and often consider only participant reactions and immediate learning, and ignore behavior changes and long-term…

The use of performance appraisal (PA) as part of a performance management system at the college level is discussed, and a process model to implement PA through staff development is presented. Through PA, the supervisor and employee develop a framework for identifying job duties and responsibilities, goals and objectives, and performance measures.…

The nature of the work environment as perceived by non-instructional staff was studied at the University of Michigan. Content analysis was undertaken of responses to open-ended survey questions answered by 4,891 non-instructional staff. Qualitative data from the content analysis were analyzed and compared to results of a quantitative data analysis…

A model on learning that occurs in the workplace is discussed. Two theoretical frameworks are explored: multiple learning domains and action science. Four examples that reflect some of the characteristics of the new paradigm for learning in the workplace are included. The examples concern management development in a large business, a staff…

This paper describes two conceptual models for addressing long-range development needs of principals. The first, a job competency model for managing productive schools, presents a comprehensive view of the central job tasks of the principal for stretching the school's capacity to influence achievement norms. Changing the school's work norms…

School culture has recently emerged as a framework for the study and interpretation of the structure and development of schools. A work culture productivity model is described, and the development of a culture instrument is reported. The concept of school work culture, a subset of systems culture, refers to the collective work patterns of a…

This paper chronicles ongoing alterations to the organizational structure of the acquisitions department at Pennsylvania State University using the tenets of total quality management (TQM). The movement toward reorganizing for process improvement began in late 1992 when the associate dean of libraries called the acquisitions department together to…

This paper focuses on the perceptions of all administrators (N=24) and teachers (N=165) in a school district regarding the success of a merit pay program in providing a motivational climate for teachers. In 1984 a school district in New Hampshire instituted a Performance Based Salary Program (PBSP). This paper addresses the following research…

A 3-year research program on workplace learning was based on action research and involved the gradual implementation of "Work Activity Briefings" every 2 weeks or whenever a major task was to be undertaken at selected construction sites managed by an Australian mining and construction company. The briefings were regular meetings between…

A Pima County (Arizona) adult workplace education program in English as a Second Language (ESL) is outlined. Salient elements in program design, student recruitment and program marketing, student assessment, instructional methods, and program evaluation are noted, and the topical content of the ESL curriculum is charted. Tasks/competencies and…

A program is described which enables mine workers in Sheffield, England, to participate in a day-release education program once a week for three years. Sponsored by the Universities of Sheffield and Leeds, the program exposes workers to economics, politics, sociology, and labor education while they are receiving full wages. Tutors in the program…