Critically reviews mentoring for new British principals, focusing on program characteristics, advantages, and disadvantages. Mentoring facilitates peer support, helps newcomers make necessary role identity changes, and encourages reflective practice. There are problems with pairing practitioners and mentors, passing on outmoded advice, and…

Summarizes selected findings of a major national research project on mentoring and teacher education in England and Wales. Considers mentoring's nature and purpose and examines mentor/new headteacher matches. Discusses mentoring's benefits, limitations, and conceptual models. Mentoring provides invaluable support for new principals but lacks rigor…

Results of interviews with 15 women executives were compared to a 1978 study. Socialization and skill development remain important management training needs, but there is less concern now for training about stereotyping. The importance of communication, networking, power, and politics increased substantially, indicating areas where significant…

Interviews with managers caught between traditional organizational culture and a shift to "learning organizations" show that individual development is important to organizational change; efforts to change managers to fit a culture defined by top management may not succeed if the vision is not shared; and spiritual and moral dimensions of…

Inservice workshops employing simulation exercises can effectively provide school board training. Such training encourages board members to view problems from numerous perspectives, develop confidence, and build camaraderie. Problem-solving simulation steps are outlined, and six sample scenarios are offered for consideration. (MLH)

The assistant principalship holds a critical position in education organizations because it is an entry-level position for administrative careers. Assistant principals maintain the norms and rules of school culture and handle the conflicts arising among teachers, students, and the community. Principals who work as administrative teams with their…

The Competency Domain Model has five domains of management competencies: conceptual/creative, leadership, interpersonal, administrative, and technical. Specific competencies and training plans can be identified in each domain for different levels--first line supervisor, field office manager, assistant manager, area manager, director of operations.…

All local education authorities (school districts) should have a policy for management development. All staff who manage the work of other adults in school should receive the appropriate training as an entitlement; for many of the teachers involved the training should be school-based. Evaluation of training is also important and deserves greater…

Draws on other articles in this journal issue to identify emergent themes concerning the principal's evolving role in several countries. Explains the context for change, including reform pressures and political response, and examines principals' changing work environment, their transformed roles, and preparation and professional development…

Evaluation of 80 outdoor-based training programs showed (1) improvement in overall work group functioning; (2) no significant changes in individual behavior; (3) different effects for intact versus nonintact work groups, voluntary participation, gender composition, and supervisor presence; and (4) impact of facilitator training on group…

Explores former Soviet management consultants' increased use of social psychological game methods. Identifies such games as means of involving segments of client organizations in accomplishing shared tasks. Proposes a "practical" business game, designed to shape the process of formulating new management decisions at a radical level.…

"Autobiographical Awareness as a Catalyst" (Torbert, Fisher); "Biography in Management and Organisational Development [OD]" (Jones); "Careers" (Davies); "Biography Work and Women's Development" (Farrell); "Biography as a Research Method for Investigating OD" (Salama); "Biographical Approach to Business Strategy" (Leary); "Biographical Research"…

Implementation is a more important management problem than design of marketing strategy. Business schools must rethink both content and teaching methods to address this issue. (SK)

At best, competency testing should be used as just one indicator of an individual's proficiency as a school administrator. Evaluation alternatives include the use of assessment centers, on-the-job training and/or assessment, alternative forms of testing, multiple competency indicators, better recruitment strategies, and enhanced school…

Examines ways to improve the potential transfer of knowledge, skills, and attitudes through professional development institutes. Discusses briefly the conceptual basis for transfer and presents specific ways to transfer theory into practice in the design of a two-week training institute offered to school principals at Vanderbilt University. (33…