Earlier reviews have asserted the superiority of structure versus ambiguity in the practice of group therapy. This review specifies the dimensions that lead to this asserted superiority and examines method and timing of presentation and content of pregroup training. A model is proposed that links content and timing with issues in group…

Presents a model of organized advisory councils containing three components: structural knowledge, programing skills, and group process skills. This framework can be used to train advisory council members and improve the effectiveness of extension programs. (SK)

Groups are a fundamental part of the business world. Yet, as companies continue to expand internationally, a major challenge lies in promoting effective communication among employees who work in varying time zones. Global expansion often requires group collaboration through computer systems. Computer-mediated groups lead to different communicative…

Following recent thinking that sees organizations' structures as dependent on their environments, the authors consider characteristics of institutional sectors that affect the organizations arising within them. They first point out problems in present models relating organizations to their environments and discuss several "forerunners"…

This review examines published research on small-group development done in the last ten years that would constitute an empirical test of Tuckman's hypothesis that groups go through the stages of "forming,""storming,""norming," and "performing." A fifth stage, "adjourning," was added to the…

Identifies series of predictable stages through which small groups progress: pre-affiliation, power and control, intimacy, differentiation, and separation. Shows application of group development for each area as group passes through various stages. Outlines model for each area summarizing group interaction and instructor roles for each stage. (NEC)

Psychological and educational measurement is carried out according to the type of model used and data collected. The H entropy which shows the dispersion of the data can be divided into intragroup and intergroup entropy. Choice of colors, sociometrical choice, and the communications are three situations where this resolution can be applied. (MF)

Classifies organizational theories, by analytical level and assumptions about human nature, into four perspectives (system-structural, strategic choice, natural selection, collective action), each with different concepts of organizational structure, behavior, change, and managerial roles. Identifies six debates generated among the perspectives and…

Two structures of authority coexist in colleges and universities: one that manages the supporting functional services and one that deals with the production areas of scholarship, teaching, and learning. This literature review defines organizational structure, discusses traditional organization models such as bureaucratic models, and outlines the…

This paper reviews and synthesizes the literature relating operations technology to organizational structure and offers a refined definition of operations technology that is intended to facilitate the comparison of different organizational types. The authors present a theoretical model that imposes consistency on the existing literature and…

This is an exploratory study of methods for the preparation of computer curriculum materials. It deals with courseware development procedures for the PLATO IV computer-based education system, and draws on interviews with over 100 persons engaged in courseware production. The report presents a five stage model of development: (1) planning, (2)…

Describes a one-day psychoeducational group for survivors of a recent organizational downsizing. Principal goal of the group is to prevent "Layoff Survivor Syndrome" through instruction and group exercises designed to normalize common responses and increase awareness of positive coping strategies. Provides descriptions of group…

A model for the personal responsibility group is presented. Each person in the group chooses goals based on personal perspectives and is not subordinate to an authority or to the group. Personal responsibility for actions and decisions is taken by each group member. (RC)

Describes currently active rural women's consciousness-raising group in eastern Nebraska, relating this group's experiences to a model of group development. Emphasizes group process and content evidenced as the group was established and passed through beginning, conflict, and cohesive stages of development. Relates changes in participants' values…

Authority-task problems are organizational problems created by inconsistencies between the task process system and both the authority system and the formal hierarchy of offices. A new theory is used to develop a model that predicts how an administrator responds to an authority-task problem. (Author/IRT)